Film This Boy's Life Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film This Boy's Life - Movie Review Example Thesis This film vividly portrays family problems and troubles, psychological pressure and emotional distress caused by complicated family relation and misunderstanding. The main problem discussed in the film is emotional abuse and misunderstanding which cause psychological and emotional sufferings to Caroline and Toby. This life story is devoted to emotional abuse faced by the author, Tobias Wolff, during his childhood. He vividly depicts hardship and emotional burden experienced by the teenager. This story is very impressive, because it reflects personal past of the author, physiological stress and cruelty of his stepfather and his children. Different parents have different ideas as to the proper way to bring up children, or as to what counts as adequate care for them, but this story unveils hash realities of childhood and family violence faced by some children. Dwight Hansen explains to Caroline that he tries to change rebellious nature of Toby and makes him a better person. But his methods and behavior unveil that he does not love Toby seeing him as the object of abuse. Physical abuse of the child is closely connected with emotional abuse and in volved physical punishment and family violence. Toby describes that his stepfather often finds any excuse to punish him while favoring the other children. Another family trouble is dominant of the father and a husband within the family. Dwight Hansen plays a dominant position in the family exercised through aggression and cruelty. From sociological point of view, this problem is caused by different gender roles and inequality within the institution of marriage. These gender variables shape the values and hence the behavior of the main characters and show that specific gender roles determine the way of living and norms of several generations of people. During the 1950s, gender roles have not undergone metamorphoses. They have followed the economic, social, and political trends of the country's history. Unfortunately, this resulted in distraction and harassment of children, primarily Toby. The film vividly portrays that father's dominance and lack of understanding ruins family happiness and warm relations. Toby describes that there is no doubt that physical injuries tend to be more evident, and their effects more public then emotional s ufferings. Stress and mental disorders can be seen as one of the most important family problems which is difficult to identify, but which have a great impact on the family and family relations. From the sociological point of view, people are faced with stress at work and at home. Stress is a social problem but it arises from an imbalance between the demands made upon individuals and their capacity to cope with such demands, family relations and economic conditions of the family. The mental well-being of family members is more difficult to define or protect. For a long time, Caroline does to recognize problems and grievances faced by her son, Toby. In his Boy's Life', stress arises from personal factors and emotional abuse It is possible to say that rebellion nature of Toby is a form of disobedience against abuse or psychological conflict between parents and children. Generation gap supports this situation and resulted in negative consequences such as rebellion and escape. Another problem described in the film is a secondary role of women and mothers within the instit

The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Example for Free

The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Abstract â€Å"Identity theft has been around since the Internet became more than just the stuff of science fiction. The benefits of being in the Network has been undisputed but it has its drawbacks especially recently†. The increasing sophistication of hacking technology and the ever-widening use of web-based communication have made the danger of identity theft loom even larger in the horizon. Recent statistics illustrate just how serious the situation is with cyber criminals increasingly focusing on small companies and individuals, who are considered soft targets. Countermeasures are fighting a losing battle and experts state that individual vigilance is the only really effective way of stemming the flood. Introduction There was a movie in 1992 starring Robert Redford and Ben Kingsley, called â€Å"Sneakers.† They played the parts of college computer geeks who managed to hack into a government computer system as a sort of teenage prank and got caught. Later in the movie, the character of Ben Kingsley becomes a high-powered high-tech executive determined to rule the world with the use of information technology that could hack into any system in the world. At the time of the movie, such scenarios were the stuff of science fiction, but that is precisely the situation today. The dependence on cyber infrastructure has become so ingrained into everyday life that vulnerability to attacks takes on new dimensions. The consequences of this vulnerability are far-reaching, as indeed information has become the new currency in this fast-paced, Web-based world. But ensuring the security of digital information is fraught with difficulty, as hackers and programmers are coming up with smarter and more destructive ways to wreak havoc with both public and private networks. One type of malware that illustrates the increasing sophistication of malicious code uses a JavaScript tool called NeoSploit. It can attack a system using seven distinct exploits that could be customized depending on the specific weakness of the system it is currently attacking. It is double obfuscated so that it easily evades most automated detection. It is a â€Å"smart† bug and adaptable as well. [33] The concept of identity theft is not new. Anybody with a computer and access to the Internet have been warned never to reveal personal information to unverified sources and to keep avoid financial transactions online unless the site is vouched for a by a reliable verification site. But identity theft is so much more, and recently, there has been a disturbing rise in incidents of identity theft beginning in 2004. The threat to networks has become more complex, as illustrated by the distributed denial-of-service attacks in 2000 and the 2001 CodeRed worm. [30] The cost to consumers and businesses of identity theft is significant. According to the Federal Trade Commission, it has been maintained at more than $50 billion in the US alone. [18] Such occurrences are not only occurring in the US, however. In South Africa, Standard Bank local and foreign clients were choused out of thousands of rands by a Trojan installed in public internet cafà ©s which captured bank information. In France, a 2005 report described how terrorists routinely used stolen identities forged onto false identity documents. [26] The effect of such security breakdowns on e-commerce is particularly horrendous. Such enterprises rely on the trust and confidence of their clients that their confidence will be secure during online transactions. It only takes one instance of invasion for clients to shy away from doing further business. This paper investigates the issues pertaining to the technology behind identity theft, the countermeasures being enacted to prevent it and the current unresolved problems. Requirement Analysis To more fully appreciate the problem, a definition of identity theft may be in order. Identity theft was first coined as part of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, better known as ID Theft Act. It is defined as a criminal act to: â€Å" †¦knowingly transfer or use, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law.†[1] Because of the increasing sophistication of ID theft techniques, the US Federal Trade Commission felt it incumbent to provide more specific definitions of what constitutes an â€Å"identity† or â€Å"identifying information†, to wit: â€Å"(a) The term ‘identity theft’ means a fraud committed or attempted using the identifying information of another person without lawful authority. (b) The term ‘identifying information’ means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual, including any (1) Name, Social Security number, date of birth, official state- or government-issued driver’s license or identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, employer or taxpayer identification number. (2) Unique biometric data, such as fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or other unique physical representation. (3) Unique electronic identification number, address, or routing code. (4) Telecommunication identifying information or access device.†[1] Looking at what comprises identity, it seems highly possible that at one point any one using the Internet or a private network will disclose one or more of the data above on a daily basis because it is almost impossible to go through a typical day without at least once using a network application such as an ATM machine or logging on to an e-mail service. Going to a hospital or school and it is highly likely an RFID is required in some form, whether as a school ID or a medical card. Schools are especially vulnerable to attack because security is not particularly high on the list of priorities for school districts working with a budget. The benefits that accrue from digital technology in the school setting is massive, but there has been no corresponding enthusiasm for establishing even the most basic of security measures. The fact is, cases such as the schools in California and Florida in which students themselves hack into the unsecured database for a prank or for profit, or the Ohio student who accidentally deleted student records which had not been backed up, are not unusual. Some of the most iconic movies are about tech savvy students who pull a fast one on uptight school administrators or against terrorists. However, in real life, security breaches for academic and medical records of students are carry consequences just as serious as those for government and corporate information. [43] It is not surprising that with the rapid digitization of information databases in all sectors, there are more and more incidents reported of some type of invasion. In 200 Techniques used in Identity Theft Physical methods computer and backup theft direct access to information dumpster diving, or searching trash theft of a purse or wallet mail theft and interception shoulder surfing skimming dishonest or mistreated employees telemarketing and fake telephone calls Internet-based methods hacking and unauthorized access phishing, or the use of spam and mirror sites pharming, or interception between an IP address and the target server. redirectors advance-fee fraud or 419 fraud fake IRS form keylogging and password stealing There has been such emphasis on Internet-related security breaches that the fact escapes most people that identity theft can happen physically as well as over the Ethernet. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were more than 300 breaches in security in companies involving the loss of data storage tapes that contained the information of more than 20 million people in 2006. However, cyber-crimes is much harder to prevent because it can be done off-site and insiduously. It is also harder to detect because often the theft is done in small batches. Source: http://www.eset.eu/press_release_threats_march McAfee Avert Labs recently released a report called â€Å"Identity Theft† that identified keylogging, malware that keeps track of keystrokes to capture passwords and other sensitive information, as the tool being increasingly used to perpetrate identity theft. The report also tracked the occurrence of phishing attacks which increased 250% from January 2004 to May 2006. [26] In March 2007, ESET reported that the top malware threat was the Trojan keylogging malware called   Win32/PSW.Agent.NCC, followed by Win32/Netsky.Q or simply Netsky P, which has the power to replicate and to spread itself as an attachment through e-mail. In third place is Trojan Win32/TrojanDowloader.Agent.AWF which is used to download malware that creates botnets that in turn creates spam and disruption-of-service attacks. [4] The use of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) bots, a string of codes or independent program that attaches to the IRC channel of a system and appears to be just another user, by hackers has been developed to be transmitted through IM, mass mailing and peer-to-peer communication. While useful for managing channels, maintaining access lists, and providing access to databases, it has become dangerous in the hands of malicious users, who activate the bots to infect and reside in systems with a view of passing on confidential and sensitive information. It is difficult to detect and to clean because the bot is configured to disable anti-virus software and firewalls. Moreover, bots can edit registry entries to hide its presence. [44] Avenues used for Identity Theft Credit Card Fraud Individuals find themselves victims of credit card fraud when they transact with smaller merchants online merchants that utilize generic shopping cart software and failing to keep up with the latest software security patches. Web-based vulnerabilities, which provide cyber-criminals the soft patches in which to invade and infiltrate, is found in many different Web-based applications because of the failure to be vigilant. One example is that of Cellhut.com which uses third party Website security provider Hackersafe which is supposed to have passedthe FBI/SANS Internet Security Test. But experts are circumspect regarding the effectiveness of these tests as evidenced by the number of reports of fraud, which is actually only a part of the actual number of cases that actually occur. Small online companies are not required to report all incidents, making statistical data difficult to gather. [17] E-mail as a gateway In 2003, the number of spam or jank mail outstripped the number of legitimate e-mail in corporate America, indicating an unrelenting onslaught on computer defenses. Malicious code such as SoBig, Mimail, and Yaha, which wreaked havoc on personal computers and servers alike,   was disseminated through e-mail. As a reaction, companies allocated 8.2% of corporate budgets were earmarked for cyber-security but the economic lure for hackers have made them more inventive and devious as well. Phishing, the art of deceiving unwary users with cleverly disguised e-mail, has become the fastest-growing non-violent crimes against banks. One sneaky example was that of Swen, an e-mail virus that masquerades as a Microsoft security fix, complete to the last detail so that it looks authentic. The unwary unleashes the virus in the system when the message is opened or previewed. It then breaks down firewalls and antivirus, leaving the system open to infiltration. Instant Messaging, Instant Invasion Instant Messaging or IM has also become popular of late because it is, well, instant. Many companies believe they have increased productivity significantly with the use of Yahoo Messenger, Skype, MSN Messenger and AOL Messenger. However, these may bring more than messages into the picture. IM allows users not only to exchange messages but to transfer files as well, which may have malware or a virus riding on it. It also provides backdoor access to hackers because IM bypasses firewalls and gateway perimeter scans. The peer-to-peer network is especially open to exploitation because of this bypass, and the worms spread rapidly, testing at 10 to 20 seconds in some tests. Some antivirus software that work on the desktop level have some success in catching these worms, but only in restricted cases. Another way for hackers to open a portal is to hijack the connection using a man-in-the-middle attack and impersonate the hijacked user. The hacker is then in a position of trust and may solicit information from the unsuspecting person on the other end. The use of a network sniffer could also steal information from an open portal during an instant messaging session, and a trojan is not even needed. This is especially dangerous in a corporate network. [37] Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) The use of VoIP has the potential security risk as that of most data streams. While it may seem to be much like a telephone service, the architecture for VoIP is not the same as the conventional telephone line, where security is more established and any interception will require a physical presence on the specific telephone wire or PBX. VoIP transmits the voice as a data stream, similar to that of any other web-based application, and is vulnerable to the same kind of invasion or interception. The defense against such invasion is through the same combination of firewalls, antivirus and   encryption. [23] Because VoIP is comparatively new, it is still in its early stages of development, and has not excited the same attention for identity thieves as other forms of data exchange, although there are some spyware the specifically targets VoIP. Cookies Cookies are normally written by a website into the computer’s harddisk to store personal data about the user relevant to the application which stores the text-only code. Flaws in the generation of the cookie identity has been identified by Security researcher Michal Zalewski as potentially vulnerable to hacker attack because the overwrite protection feature can easily be bypassed and allow malware to remotely plant user information on another persons computer that can be accessed remotely when the user visits specific websites. [35] Malware is more than just malicious in that it is motivated by economic gain rather than any kind of grudge or misdirected sense of humor. A more appropriate term for these economic-driven malicous software is spyware. Spyware is much more focused and quite destructive because it can reside in a system for weeks or even months before it is discovered. Aside from the fact that transmits confidential information to its creator, it also slows down computers if enough of them reside in the system, even disbling some applications from working at all. There is loss of productivity as well as information. Sometimes it is simply annoying, popping up as adware or altering the home page to redirect the browser to specific websites. It sometimes masquerades as an end-user license agreement and most users just click on it as a matter of course, inadvertently allowing the spyware to be embedded in   the system. Whichever form it takes, it cuts down on productivity, uses up RAM and CPU resources. [27] Many IT professionals consider spyware the top security threat as revealed by a WatchGuard Technologies survey in 2005. Consequently, anti-spyware software is also on the rise, making it the top security technology for 2005. Since people make money from it, it is most likely that hackers would bring it up to the level of a serious enterprise. Particularly vulnerable are banks and financial institutions, such as PayPal, which was targeted by a variation of the Mimail worm. The pathogen redirected the user to a false PayPal verification window which then asked for sensitive financial information. PayPal had hitherto enjoyed a reputation for reliability, so the potential to victimize a large number of people makes the strategy particularly effective. The tendency to use a few core applications is another reason hackers are so effective: they only need to focus on circumventing the security of a few systems to ensure a good haul. [25]One of these core applications is Microsoft’s Windows. The vulnerabilities of these products are more numerous than ever, mostly because its widespread use has made it the target of concentration for   many hackers. And though improvements in the security features in the products have managed to deflect more than 100,000 variants of the malware circulating, it requires more vigilance on the part of the caretaker to maintain the system to the leading edge of the available updates and security patches.   [36] There has even been evidence that cyber-criminals have become loosely organized, expert hackers working together with spammers and fraudsters to extend the sophistication and reach of the attacks on peer-to-peer networks. The focus is now on compromising integrity rather than the random destruction of files and networks. The treasure in this hunt is for information, and since there is no immediate, discernible damage, it is only when the credit card bills come in or the security system springs an alarm that the invasion becomes apparent. In the instances that a pathogen succeeds in infiltrating a good system, more damage is done than its predecessor, and true to the nature of its name, the virus appears never to completely die, but rather to go into stasis, just waiting for the next improved bug to re-activate it in an evolved state, such as the Phatbot in 2004 which exploit known and newly-discovered vulnerabilities in multi-frontal attacks. [36] Profile of a Cyber Criminal [26] Organized crime groups The involvement of organized crime groups has served to coalesce otherwise individual hackers. The motive for the involvement is not only profit but to establish a supply of readily available identities to be used in the course of their criminal activities. Terrorists It has been established that terrorists use various identities to avoid detection by government agencies that are on the alert for their appearance in under their true identities. They acquire employment and obtain financing for their activities. One instance was reported in Spain where a terrorist cell made purchases with the use of stolen credit cards and used fake passports and travel documents to open legitimate bank accounts to finance their operations. Petty criminals These are the freelancers, out to make easy money and with no other motive but money. [26] Literature Survey of Solutions Research grants In 2002, $877 million in government grants were earmarked to fund the Cyber Security Research and Development Act and H.R. 3400, the Networking and Information Technology Advancement Act that would beef up the network security of vital infrastructure. The ATT Foundation has also made contribution by providing grants in 2004 to the University of Texas at Dallas and Syracuse University to support cybersecurity research. Similarly, National Institute of Standards and Technology gave a grant to George Mason University School of Laws National Center for Technology Law and James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. to collaborate on what is know as the Critical Infrastructure Protection Project. â€Å"The project is aimed at providing outreach and education, serve as a pool of knowledge, and development of special programs for small businesses and information sharing†.   [41] However, the grants are part of a reaction to 9/11, which seeks to promote research in counterterrorirsm and national security. The problem of identity theft is much closer to home, or at least need not be on the scale of national security. Generally, identity theft can occur to as small as the scale of a home computer. A report by Internet security solutions provider Preventon has shown that in the UK, approximately 67% of   the surveyed consumers manage their own security software, mostly anti-virus, firewalls or anti-spyware software. However, only 22% considered â€Å"phishing† a serious threat to their security. New Products For financial call centers, a product has been developed by EMC’s Security Division called the RSA[R] Adaptive Authentication for Phone, which seeks to provide a reliable authentication protocol for telephone banking as required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Councils Authentication in the Internet Banking Environment guidance. It is an offshoot of the RSA Adaptive Authentication for Web in use by 35 of the largest financial institutions and banks in the world. The system makes use of the voice biometric solution based on Vocent technology and Nuance’s voiceprint engine. It is designed to conduct a risk-based assessment by analyzing voiceprint and user behavior based on predetermined parameters during retail and commercial banking transactions. Aside from the technology, users of the product will also have access to the database of the RSA eFraudNetwork community which has fraudster profiles. [10] There has been some opinion that an overlap approach may be more effective, where a combination of firewalls, intruder protection and detection and vulnerability testing be used in concert instead of isolation. [25] A software that goes one step further is PCImmunity, which is designed to combine the security features of Norton, McAfee, SpyBot, SpySweeper, Ad-Aware, ZoneAlarm, Avast, and AVG while supplementing them with a restart feature in cases where one or more of the active applications is deactivated by a hacker or virus. One of its maintenance features is the automatic update of these software and the daily scans of anti-spyware software. [14] Two projects that are geared towards anticipating industrial-grade security measures for VoIP has been initiated by the VoIP Security Alliance, or VOIPSA, which aims to establish a â€Å"threat taxonomy† and and a list of VoIP security requirements These protocols will be of particular use for session border controllers, or SBCs, which serves as an intermediary between the unique architecture of VoIP and web-based protocol that would otherwise be incompatible with VoIP. VoIP with SBC    Source: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/general/bulletin/software/general/3001_pp/3001_p24.jpg Other functions of the SBC is to enable network address translation, VoIP peering and compliance with   the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.   Security-wise, SBCs as the â€Å"man-in-the-middle,† is theoretically in a good position as the front-liner for any unauthorized access or interception. SBCs also serve to mask the presence of VoIP systems and softswitches and other devices. However, the integrity of its security features has yet to be rigorously tested. [40] The JavaScript malware that confounds most automated detection needs special treatment, using decoding tools such as NJS, SpiderMonkey or Rhino which separates the malware from the browser tool at the command-line level after cleaning up the HTML. It decodes in layers until the malware is completely stripped of its code. The tools are based on JavaScript and designed to be a re-entrant. It is not guaranteed, however, because such tools have limitations and it is only a matter of time before hackers find a way around it as well. [33] Another breakthrough that is a double-edged sword is a framework being developed by security expert Roelof Temmingh called Evolution. Though still in its infancy, the framework can be used as both a hacker’s tool as well as a security application. What it does is to use any identity information and extract other hidden data. For example, it can transform a domain into e-mail addresses and telephone numbers with the use of the Whois domain name lookup service, so hackers need only one type of information to get a whole slew of information. It can also identify targets for client-side attacks and war-dialing ranges. In the interest of security, however, Evolution can be invaluable in various ways. It can be used as a footprinting to identify phishing sites and identify alliances with weak security postures. In the long run, however, Evolution can be used to illustrate the future capabilities of hackers and research to pro-actively counteract such developments would be of immense benefit. [33] The important development from a security standpoint is that many companies are finally coming to terms with the magnitude of the battle before them. In a conference in Phoenix, the focus was on new products that were designed to renew the onslaught on incidents of phishing, adware and spyware spurred on by Web 2.0. Products such as NewsGator Hosted Solution allows companies to put an RSS aggregator in their websites, eliminating the need to get feed directly from the original content originator. For security compliance, LogLogic produced the appliance-based solution LogLogic 3 r2 that allows tracking of Microsoft Exchange log activity to identify security risks. [16] One product with added features was announced recently by Barracuda Networks which helps identify spam messages even if it is being sent by an apparently innocuous e-mail address. The Spam Firewall e-mail security appliance is now able to analyze sender behavior, facilitating reputation analysis. When a previously normal nehaving e-mail address suddenly stars unloading massive amounts of email, it is presumed that it has been infected by a botnet and turned into a spam server. [20] DIY Security Protocols With the rise of DIY security came the development of self-help websites that provide security tips and information as well as recommended freeware for downloads. One such website is the Gibson Research Corp. website (www.grc.com) headed by Steve Gibson. He provides three suggestions: Stealth or hide seldom-used ports, of which a typical system has 65,000 for an internet scanner to exploit. Disconnect services not in use, which Windows provides and connects by default but which only represents a vulnerability. Bind only the modem to the TCP/IP. Windows binds all network resources to the Internet by default as well, such as a shared printer, which is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Among Gibson’s offerings that have provided some security is Shields Up! and LeakTest scans, and Gibsons DCOMbobulator, Shoot the Messenger, Socket-Lock, UnPlug n Pray and Xpdite make security a little tighter.   Another website that may bear investigation is The Human Firewall (www.humanfirewall.org) which focuses more on companies. [36] In IM, the best way to prevent identity and other information theft is to use an IM service that allow encryption. Unnecessary file tranfers via IM should also be restricted. Another suggestion is the use of Really Simple Syndication (RSS) as an alternative to joining an e-mailing list. The RSS feed is secure because here is no need for an e-mail address, it merely gets the desired material from the feed’s server. It makes the inbox and spam mail easier to manage as well as reducing the risk of spyware infiltration. [31] To confound IRC bots, McAfee experts suggests the use of IRC servers in constructing and IRC honeypot and a network sniffer. The sniffer identifies the IRC channel used by the malicious bot and the IRC honeypot routes all IRC channels to pass through it and an outbound query is allowed. A rogue bot will try to home into the attacker’s IRC server and the honeypot then issues commands to unistall the bot. [44] Enterpise Security Governance On the executive level, the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) reports in â€Å"Governing for Enterprise Security† that the need to address information security as an enterprise-level governance concern is paramount. It identified several characteristics that define a company that employes governance in enterprice security: Security is given the same importance as other aspects of business; Security is part of the organization’s strategic planning cycle; Security is considered an integral part of all enterprise functions; Key executives and network staff alike have an appreciation of the responsibilities and issues involved in network security. Because of the prevalence of confidentiality breaches in the corporate world and the high costs involved in such breaches, an enterprise with a strong, healthy respect and care for the security of the information in their care but still with the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with their clients will come across as a company that can be relied on and trusted. [29] ATT’s Research Labs president Hossein Eslambolchi agrees that security cannot be an afterthought, and states that the state of network security is so pathetic that hackers can bring down a whole network with very little effort. [13] Government Initiatives The US government has come to realize the real threat of security and information breach, especially when it involves government agencies. Several intitiatives deal with ensuring vigilance in both public and private enterprises that deal with network security. E-Government Act 2002, a privacy assessment mandate that is designed to protect the personal information of citizens who volunteer their data on government sites, is touted as one of the most significant privacy guidelines. The aim of the mandate is to ease the government into e-government, overcome resistance to change and to emphasize the need for cyber-security and privacy as well as coordination concerns. [21] Another government mandate is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which came into effect in April 2005 which regulates the use of e-mail and other Internet-based communications by health professionals in efforts to secure sensitive medical information. The guidelines are particularly focused on some key points that may arise in a clinician-patient communication. The rule of thumb is that the e-mail is mos probably not secure, and ealth professionals should not solicit confidential patient information via email, nor should patients supply such information. If it is absolutely imperative, the guidelines require tat such e-mail be encoded and encrypted. In cases of sharing benchmarking information and statistical data, it would be advisable to take out pertinent patient information as much as possible. There are 18 HIPAA Patient Identifiers that should be taken out, a list available on the HIPAA website (www.hipaa.org). [3] With regard to schools, some efforts at the district levels are being made to establish some security guidelines to protect the integrity of school records. The Consortium for School Networking, together with the Mass Networks Education Partnership in Allston, Mass., has produced the Cyber Security for a Digital District program (www. securedistrict.cosn.org) which provides administrators with an outline of what constitutes a secure database. [43] However, cost is still a major consideration for many school districts, one that has no immediate solution unless administrators and school boards alike are convinced of the importance of cyber-security in the schools. There have been some suggestions that law enforcement agencies take a more offensive take on cyber criminals and ISPs that host such activities, but this move is fraught with legal and ethical issues. Cyber crime is difficult to pin down because it is nealy amorphous in character. Unless it is proven without doubt that such a person or ISP is knowingly involved in the commission of cyber crimes such as identity theft, any law enforcement actions against what may prove to be an innocent party who may in turn be victims themselves would be ineffective. A recent development has been an unprecedented move by the US District Court in Alexandria, Va. On behalf of Project Honey Pot of anti-spam company Unspam Technologies, a $1 billion lawsuit was filed against spammers as well as those who harvest e-mail addresses for spammers. The lawsuit is the first and largest of its kind made possible by the efforts of members of Project Honey Pot who have been able to gather enough data to prosecute the alleged perpetrators with the use of the honey pot software, which identifies spam mail and IP addresses of the e-mail harvesters. The gathered data will enable prosecutors to subpoena ISP records for the involved IP addresses and its owners. The results of this litigation could well provide cyber criminals at least a pause in their activities. [28] Outstanding Issues One of main problems with countering unauthorized invasions is the lack of government spending on network security. Moreover, universities are churning out an inadequate supply of graduates with enough knowledge in network security to come up with practical and effective counters to what hackers can come up with. According to National Academy of Engineering (NAE) president William Wulf, there are perhaps about 200 serious computer security researchers in the US. Academic research is also notoriously slow in coming out with publications, much too slow to be of practical use in the rapid development of cyber-crime. Much of the brain drain is due to the demand of private enterprises, which pays a lot better than academic research, for talent to staff short-term projects that has nothing to do with security research. Purdue University Professor Eugene Spafford characterizes the attitude to security issues as most people view insurance. Software Engineering Institute’s Timothy J. Shimeall agrees as senior technical staff member of its Networked Systems Survivability Program. Not enough attention and resources is being devoted to security issues until it becomes a problem. For those who are involved in academic research in security, most are theoretical, with little or no practical basis, according to Columbia University computer science professor Salvatore J. Stolfo. [30] Another issue that has yet to be addressed is the management of the distributed-computing environment, in which the traditional, centralized concept of a security perimeter, known as the Orange Book architecture of the US Department of Defense’s Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria, is of little use. What is needed is long-term, systemic, non-theoretical view of the problem, rather than disaster management and short-term product cycle thinking. A survey, called the Risk of Sharing, of 300 companies in the US, UK and Australia revealed gaps in the business communications process due mainly to lack of process auditability, inadvertent exposure of confidential data, review cycle inaccuracies and resource loss through dealing with spam, amendments and approvals. [5] It has also been observed that many companies fail to make full use of the security softwar they already possess, and the reason for this appears to be data overload. When security software provides audit information for instances of attempts at invasion, it spews out a lot of information, much of it extraneous. Systems analysts must figure out which are the significant entries out of thousands of entries, and some companies resourt to outsourcing the work. [25] Conclusion The story of infected networks and compromised information has become all too familiar, a state of affairs that has begun to make itself felt with a vengeance. Of particular concern is the increasing number of incidents of identity theft. It is of concern to the individuals and corporations that are directly affected by it, but it is also a matter of national security, especially since the onslaught of terrorist attacks on the US. One side of the hackers economics is selling of legitimate identities to identified individuals who are persona non grata in the US. Identity theft is should thus be a priority for individuals, business entities and government agencies alike. Efforts by researchers to come up with defensive foils to stem the malware tide have met with mixed success as each step to successfully battling existing threats is countered by newer, more sophisticated and more dangerous threats. The economics behind the hacking industry has become huge as the world becomes more and more enmeshed in the cyber world, and the opportunities for profit is increasing as more and more industries are hooking up. However, the benefits of being connected still outweighs the drawbacks and the key to maintaining equilibrium is vigilance. On the far end of the security spectrum is government agencies that exact compliance for security regulations to deter cyber crime. Businesses follow suit as required because it is also to their benefit to do so, although many small companies have resistance because they have yet to feel the squeeze of an all-out hack attack. Big enterprises are more in the picture because they are bigger targets, although hackers are migrating more and more to softer targets whose resistance to regulations make them more vulnerable to attack. On the other end of the spectrum is the individual user, whether in the office or home setting. It is the responsibility of each user to be aware of the dangers, whether they are hooked up to local area network with the potential to infect from two to 50 other terminals because of a security suite that lacks maintenance, or the home user with an address book full of friends and family which has the potential of spreading malware with the ease of a click of a mouse. The tools to combat malicious cyber crime is available but users need to be educated about their responsibilities. Users need to be vigilant about their computer use, with their e-mails, with their IM sessions, even with their browsing behavior. As Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker, â€Å"with great power comes great responsibility.† Being interconnected has unleashed great power, and the responsibility to harness this power for the common good is very much in the hands of each user. Acknowledgment References â€Å"Bill authorizes $877 million for cyber security research.† Communications Today. December 7, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BMD/is_228_7/ai_80639935 â€Å"CinTel develops a network security solution that enables content filtering proxy.† EDP Weekly IT Monitor. August 8, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GZQ/is_30_46/ai_n14939952 â€Å"Do your e-mails comply with new security regs? HIPAA regs cover security and confidentiality.† HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement. May 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUZ/is_5_12/ai_n13759944 â€Å"Global threat trends in March 2007.† com. April 3, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eset.eu/press_release_threats_march â€Å"New research uncovers security and audit risks.† International Journal of Micrographics Optical Technology. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4077/is_200501/ai_n1363351 â€Å"Organisations fear network security threats from Instant Messaging.† Internet Business News. October 3, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from   http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNG/is_2005_Oct_3/ai_n15658965 â€Å"Research by prevention reveals UK home PC user are turning to DIY security.† Internet Business News. July 6, 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNG/is_2005_July_6/ai_n14724817 â€Å"RSA survey reveals online security concerns.† Internet Business News. August 22, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNG/is_2005_August_22/ai_n14924483 â€Å"Security appliance protects consumer data with encryption.† ThomasNet, Incorporated. February 27, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2007_March_19/ai_n18727208 â€Å"Security system strengthens phone authentication processes.† Product News Network. November 13, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2006_Nov_13/ai_n16836088 â€Å"Security.† Telecom Asia. August 2003. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_8_14/ai_108312261 â€Å"Security.† Telecom Asia. December 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_12_15/ai_n9481318 â€Å"Security.† Telecom Asia. June 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_6_16/ai_n16879846 â€Å"Software automates and maintains PC security programs.† Product News Network. September 28, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2005_Sept_28/ai_n15636236 A paper that is focused on a current security research issue of your own choosing. â€Å"RSS network optimization, fraud prevention tools take demo stage.† eWEEK.com. February 6, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1920117,00.asp?kc=EWNKT0209KTX1K0100440 â€Å"ID thieves turn sights on smaller e-businesses: for online shoppers, security seals no guarantee that hackerts aren’t watching.† Washingtonpost.com. September 28, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTQ/is_2006_Sept_28/ai_n16753298 â€Å"Can ID theft be solved with more regulation?† eWEEK.com. February 8, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2092459,00.asp Prince. â€Å"Report shows spike in online identity theft.† eWEEK.com. January 16, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2084453,00.asp [20]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   C. Garretson. â€Å"Barracuda Networks enhances reputation analysis technology with behavior data.† Network World. April 17, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/041707-barracuda-e-mail-security-appliance-profiling.html Webb. â€Å"Government IT Review.† Washingtonpost.com. October 2, 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTQ/is_2003_Oct_2/ai_108454056 Chandler. â€Å"Storage services for data security: big business byte for enlightened operators.† Telecommunications Americas. August 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUH/is_9_39/ai_n15631277 Khun, T. Walsh and S. Fries. â€Å"Security considerations for Voice over IP systems.† January 2005. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930. Sweeney. â€Å"Focus turns to network security: while many consider the telecoms infrastructure a vulnerable target for terrorists, the more immediate threats are attacks by individual hackers and authors of malicious code, which are presenting new security challenges for service providers.† Telecom Asia. January 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_1_16/ai_n9772934 Shein. â€Å"Spy vs. spy: companies are spending billions on network security, but staying ahead of hackers may be a pipe dream.† CFO: Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. February 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3870/is_2_20/ai_113051525 Paget. â€Å"Identity theft.† McAfee Avert Labs. December 15, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from www.mcafee.com McPartlin. â€Å"Somebodys watching you: spyware has come in from the cold to become corporate Americas top security threat.† CFO: Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. Summer 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3870/is_9_21/ai_n15787661 Vijayan. â€Å"E-mail harvesters hit with $1 billion antispam lawsuit.† Computerworld. April 26, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/042607-e-mail-harvesters-hit-with-1b.html Whitley. â€Å"Report stresses security governance.† Internal Auditor. October 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4153/is_5_62/ai_n15763501 [30]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   L. Paulson. â€Å"Wanted: More Network-Security Graduates and Research.† Computer Science at the University of Virginia. February 1, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.cs.virginia.edu/csnews/show.php?artID=79 Seltzer. â€Å"Security watch: Windows wireless threat†¦not.† PC Magazine. January 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdpcm/is_200601/ai_n16015170 Seltzer. â€Å"Security Watch: Windows, Firefox, Winamp, all report flaws.† PC Magazine. February 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdpcm/is_200602/ai_n16043071 Vaas. â€Å"Tools will help personalize ID theft by 2010.† eWEEK.com. April 19, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2115879,00.asp Vaas. †JavaScript attacks get slicker.† eWEEK.com. April 18, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2115638,00.asp Hines. â€Å"Cookie holes expose browsers.† eWEEK.com. January 31, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1917283,00.asp Hogan. â€Å"Not-so-good fellas: keep the bad guys at bay with these steps to improve your companys computer security.† Entrepreneur. June 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DTI/is_6_32/ai_n6055133 Hindocha. â€Å"Instant insecurity: security issues of instant messaging.† Security Focus. January 13, 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1657 Roberts. â€Å"FBI computer crime survey finds widespread attacks.† eWEEK.com. January 20, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1913633,00.asp Roberts. â€Å"IBM predicts 2006 security threat trends.† eWEEK.com. January 23, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1913864,00.asp Poe. â€Å"VoIP industry moves to bolster network security: new group to define requirements.† America’s Network. May 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DUJ/is_5_109/ai_n15622587 Roach. â€Å"Cybersecurity research at two schools gets boost from ATT Foundation.† Black Issues in Higher Education. July 1, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_10_21/ai_n6145384 Roach. â€Å"Virginia universities team up on nations cyber security; focus on public policy and law gives research effort unique focus.† Black Issues in Higher Education. June 20, 2002. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_9_19/ai_89077199 Lafee. â€Å"Cyber security at the distriCt level: are you ready to prevent unlawful, unauthorized or simply misguided use of your technology?† School Administrator. April 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSD/is_4_62/ai_n13667747 Thomas and N. Jyoti. â€Å"Defeating IRC bots on the internal network.† McAfee Avert Labs. February 6, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from www.virusbtn.com

Lord Of The Flies Vs. Huck Fin :: essays research papers

Responsibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s society, human beings must learn to take care of something or someone,and that is a responsibility that they must uphold. In both the Lord of the Flies, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the responsibility of the boys is to manage by themselves without any adults to take care of them. The events in William Golding’s book Lord of the Flies can be easily compared to those of Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, because the main characters both have major responsibilities. There are two responsibilities that the characters came in contact with, taking care of people,including themselves, and being responsible enough to do the right thing. Thus, responsibility helps individuals to evolve and mature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taking care of yourself, as well as others is an enormous responsibility. In both books, the main characters must take care of themselves because they do not know who they can trust. The boys in the Lord of the Flies basically have to live their own lives, for they are on an island with no one to run to except themselves, or some of the other boys that they trust. Although, the ones they trust are already fending for themselves. The characters all go through changes as they adjust to their new world, and become different people because of it. In example to this, Jack seems like a strong willed character at the start of the book, but the other boys never would have imagined he would turn into a cold blooded killer. Therefore, they must learn to take care of themselves for they can not depend on Jack or any of the older boys, to be there for each and every one of them. It is proven that each boy has this responsibility in the following quote;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Merridew turned to Ralph. ‘Aren’t there any grown-ups?’ ‘No.’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Merridew sat down on a trunk and looked round the circle. ‘Then   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  we’ll have to look after ourselves.’† (Golding 17)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an immense responsibility for the boys, because they never had to live on their own before they arrived on the island. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both Jim, the runaway nigger, and Huck choose the responsibility of taking care of themselves. This is because they both run away from the lives they had been living.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"But looky here, Huck, who wuz it dat ‘uz killed in dat shanty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ef it warn’t you?

Call of the wild :: essays research papers

The Call of the Wild: Life lessons that are learned and thought Introduction As a student in Introduction to Literature I have had the opportunity to engage in reading and writing from the books listed: The Call of the Wild, Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s, and I know why the cage bird sings. These books have taught me that a message could be delivered in many perspectives. I have learned that a book is more than a story being told. It is up to the reader imagination to take then to that magical place. From these books I have choose to challenge myself to critic The Call of the wild by Jack London. It is an outstanding book that could be a positive feature for fifth grader to college students. The best thing about this book is that your view will change as you get older and wiser. For example I read this book in sixth grade and then again as a third year student and my views have change. Presently this book informs me that one’s life may end up different then the life they started. Also you change depends on the world that surrounds them such as people, environment, and life experiences just to name a few. I believe that The Call of the Wild is one of the best books written, because it educate the readers that throughout life you will continue to learn and be thought. In this paper I will explain Social Darwinist and the terms, technique I us to base the true agenda, and agree my thesis represented by quotes from the book. I will tackle number 3 for this take home midterm. Social Darwinist and terms Jack London writing technique influence his readers to consider Social Darwinist has an outlook on life. Merriam Webster’s explain Social Darwinist â€Å"to study of the human society, specifically a theory I human sociology that individuals or groups achieve advantages over others as the result of genetic or biological superiority. In class my classmates interpret it as â€Å"the survival of the fittest.† I agree with them, but I feel that you have to learn and gain from your mistakes. For example how could the strong survive without concurring adversity? London expresses it as, â€Å"And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead becomes alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him. In vague ways he remembered back to the youth of the breed (page 40).

In the era after the Cold War, liberalism has replaced realism as the dominant explanation for the international system” Do you agree with this assertion?

Introduction This essay examines the proposition that, in the era after the Cold War, liberalism has replaced realism as the dominant explanation for the international system, arguing that such is not the case; that realism continues to be relevant and, indeed, perhaps offers better explanations for current global politics that liberalism. In particular, this essay focuses on the Waltzian notion of global anarchy and asymmetrical global power distributions as being primary driving agencies in international affairs. Hence this essay espouses the precepts of neorealism, emphasising the importance of power, dominance, and interest as underlying political behaviour. While this essay acknowledges the ideological primacy of liberalism, and the likelihood that this will increase, it draws a distinction between avowed intellectual affinities and observable political realities. That is, the central idealism of the liberal ethos is dissected and found to be unsatisfactory in accounting the for post-Cold Wa r global order. While the importance of liberalism is not refuted, the current study sees its ascendency as resulting more from a lack of viable alternatives than its fundamental superiority as a political system or as a set of ideas. Realism, Liberalism, and the Centrality of Power and Interest in International Relations In the wake of the Cold War, certain critical voices within the field of International Relations assert the demise of realism as the dominant explanation for the international system. Certainly, scholars suggest that liberalism is â€Å"main alternative to realism in the public discourse, as it has been for two centuries, albeit challenged by socialism for a time† (Richardson, 2001: 71). This supposition is founded on the belief that the primary tenets of realism – like global anarchy, the centrality of the state, and corollary importance of power and self-interest – while previously useful in explaining global politics, have been superseded by alternate theories. Hence scholars hold that â€Å"although realism’s concepts of anarchy, self-help, and power balancing may have been appropriate to a bygone era, they have been displaced by changed conditions and eclipsed by better ideas† (Little & Smith, 2006: 90). The realist paradigm as formulated by Ma chiavelli and codified by Hobbes, it could be argued, was grounded in paranoiac conceptualisations of the human condition; it reflected an â€Å"anti-teleological principle†, where the Aristotelian idea of ultimate â€Å"good† as humanity’s guiding light is rejected in favour of a motive formed in the philosophical negative (Strauss, 1988: 52): where humans ultimately acted to avoid certain ends rather than precipitate them. For Hobbes, one of the intellectual fathers of the modern nation state, man’s endeavour was consequently geared, in sum, against what he called the â€Å"summum malum†, that is, death (Sreedhar, 2010: 33). Modern political science tends to ascribe somewhat less pessimistic intentions and driving agencies to international relations. While this has somewhat to do with the inevitable critical realignment that obtained as a result of global political rearrangement after the fall of the Soviet bloc, the irrelevance of realism is by no means a given. As the neorealist Kenneth Waltz avers: â€Å"Changes in the structure of the system are distinct from changes at the unit level† (2000: 5). After all, it would entail a radical change in world politics to negate entirely a prevalent mode of critical analysis; for realism all of a sudden to become irrelevant. This would, it seems clear, be to say that the events of the past were so vastly different in character from those of the present as to bear negligible if any consequence for (or insights on) events of the future. But what manner of change in the international system could utterly alter the critical apparatuses by which s uch systems are scrutinisedWhat we are concerned with in this instance, after all, is a wholly new type of system; in effect, a new type of politics: wherein the posited spread of liberalism, increasing globalisation, interdependence, the rise of democracy and the consolidation of diplomatic relations is such as to redefine the very nature of state-to-state interaction – a very dramatic alteration indeed. In sum, is the new face of global order really reflective of an equally new modus operandi at work beneathIs liberalism the new residing paradigm? Since the end of the Cold War, scholars have proposed that a â€Å"new world† is upon us, one which requires new approaches to political analysis. As a consequence, the field of political studies has witnessed a wealth of competing so-called â€Å"new world† theories: Francis Fukuyama’s proposed End of History and Samuel P. Huntington’s Clash of Civilisations theory being foremost among them. A common thread in said theories relates to the potent ideological significance of communism being abjured by a huge portion of the globe and the consequent spread of liberal democracy and its bedfellow capitalism. In either instance, the charge of Western triumphalism could be brought to bear and, indeed, raises some pertinent questions: is it that Western liberalism is a superior system or is it that Eastern style communism was integrally flawedSome scholars certainly contend the latter: communist political systems â€Å"collapsed in Central and Eastern Europe at t he end of the 1980s primarily because of long-standing internal weaknesses that denied them the popular legitimacy needed for long term survival† (Goldman, 1997: 3). From a liberal perspective, this can be understood as reflective of the supposed fundamental human desire for freedom: a desire which proponents are keen to imply that liberalism provides. That is, there is for some liberal critics a belief that â€Å"the desire for liberal democracy† is â€Å"universal† because it denotes the innate human desire for freedom (Hughes, 2012: 109). However, the categorical and reductive overtones of such thinking are perhaps too flattering to the Occidental political position (from which liberal critics tend to hail). At any rate, it is clear that liberal politics have become increasingly preponderate in the wake of the Cold War. Whether this is down to the universality of liberal principles is highly debatable. More convincing are arguments that stress the lack of viable alternatives to communism since the fall of the Soviet bloc. Hence one critic observes that following the Cold War, liberal democracy found itself â€Å"without enemies or viable alternatives† (Haynes et al., 2013: 36). Concurrently, the United States (certainly the most prevalent liberal polity on the world stage), increasingly pursued policies that were indicative of â€Å"ideological universalism in values and practices† (MacGinty & Richmond, 2013: 22). Such universalism works somewhat to blur the lines between liberal principles and US principles: simply put, the one comes metonymically to do duty for the other. As a result, scholars posit that â€Å"American power has become the executor of the liberal idea an d, invisibly, the liberal ideal has become the occasion for asserting American might† (MacDonald, 2014: 161). In other words, the diminishment in viable alternatives to communism, in addition to the rise of US proclamations in the service of liberalism, both amount to a powerful catalyst for political liberalism overall. What is clear, then, is that there has been a substantial paradigm shift in the global order; and, indeed, the proclamations of a supposed new word do seem justified, at least in terms of the overt ideological dynamic at play in international relations. What liberal scholars trumpet as the ascendency of liberalism must be understood as an ideological victory before anything else. Deeper rooted structural and socio-cultural influences may yet obtain. As a result, while classical realism may be unsuited to account for the ideological makeup of contemporary politics, neorealism and structural realism can perhaps offer an adapted understanding of fundamental driving agencies behind ideological ambitions. Such critical perspectives relate to the underlying mechanics of global politics. Kenneth Waltz for instance maintains the validity of realism inasmuch as it serves to explain states of relative peace and conflict as being the result of asymmetrical power distribution among states and th e prevalence of global anarchy. For Waltz, this mode of anarchy is connected with permissiveness: where the lack of any top-down international ruling body or sovereign effectively removes deterring agencies (for states to wage war). Hence Waltz identifies what he calls â€Å"permissive† causes of conflict: that allow wars to occur â€Å"because there is nothing to prevent them† (1959: 232). Of course, there has been a significant decline in interstate war since the fall of communism, but this does not mean that global anarchy in no longer relevant. Rather, the realist paradigm may still be said to hold true: the only difference is the vastly changed power structures at work. The world order is, for the present, unipolar, with the United States representing the global hegemon. During the Cold War, international relations were bipolar, because the Soviet bloc represented a significant balance to the capitalist West. This led to a situation where, although individual factions often sought â€Å"to dominate, superiority [was] almost impossible to achieve† because states countered â€Å"each other’s attempts to dominate† (D’Anieri, 2011: 69). In lieu of this bipolar balance, no single state commands the resources or capability to challenge the US, thus what is known as hegemonic stability obtains. While this hegemonic stability maintains a peacefu l status quo under the banner of liberal democracy, there are nonetheless indications that other factors are at work beneath the overt appearance. Indeed, the unipolar world has allowed for a degree of unilateralism that seems distinctly at odds with the dictates of freedom and equality so associated with the liberal ideal. One commentator notes, for example, that â€Å"the excessive unilateralist behaviour of the Bush administration† in addition to the frequent â€Å"disregard for international law† which â€Å"previous administrations had helped to create† ended up being â€Å"corrosive† on the credibility of Washington (Heinbecker, 2011: 171). The point is that the US is simultaneously putting itself forward as the vocal exemplar of liberalism yet repeatedly acting in its own self-interest and flexing its muscle in order to do so. Thus while on the one hand the US explicitly champions liberal ideology, its political behaviour is more readily explicable with reference to realist ideas. There is an evident paradox at work here, and it is evocative of Mark twain’s famed aphorism: â€Å"If you have a reputation as an early riser, you can sleep ‘til noon† (Rumsey, 2012: 137). Hence we come to a crucial distinction in the current debate. Liberalism is at base an idealistic mould for political action, thus difficult to achieve. Realism, contrarily, assumes a degree of pragmatism, partiality, and, indeed, disparity in political action that is far more readily obtained. This central paradox echoes one of the primary problems with the liberal ethos as a practicable set of ideas: it tends not to work very well. He nce scholars like Michael Howard go so far as to equate liberalism with the â€Å"story of the efforts of good men to abolish war but only succeeding thereby in making it more terrible† (Howard, 1978: 130). Taking this point of view, it becomes less convincing that liberalism has rendered realism obsolete. Indeed, the actions of the US after the Cold War have, it can be argued, been highly self-interested. Moreover, after the tragedy of September 11th, Washington’s neoconservative quest to spread democracy was anything but peaceful. In either instance, self-preservation and national interest seem more reasonable explanations for Washington’s actions than any supposed idealistic liberalising agenda (except where such an agenda consolidated US power). Thus we can once more defer to realist thinking. In this respect scholars point to â€Å"the central role† of â€Å"power† in â€Å"politics and the dominance of the nation-state in the contemporary international system† – a realist conception if ever there was one (Keohane, 1984: 9). Even though the power divisions that prevailed during the Cold War are now gone, this does not mean the fundamental concepts of power and dominance no longer play an important role. Here we come to a very important poi nt: the ideas of realism relate to fundamental driving agencies, which effectively transcend the cosmetic prescriptions of particular ideological systems. This is why, critics argue, realism offers a good explanation for political activity: because it tries to locate root causes. This latter point is realism’s overriding strength. Because realism is concerned with human nature and fundamental agency, it potentially represents a more universal system of thought than does liberalism. For this reason, realism cannot be said to have been rendered obsolete by the rise of liberalism; this is because, in a certain sense, the realist view is ahistorical and thus cannot be made obsolete. Realism after all is focused on the â€Å"constraints on politics imposed by human nature† (Donnelly, 2000: 9). Human nature has no time limit. Accordingly this is to suppose that power, dominance and self-interest are integral elements of the human condition; that political events thus reflect human nature writ large. While it may be upheld that the human condition is not as bleak as Hobbes contended – â€Å"solitary, poor, brutish, nasty and short† – it can certainly be argued humanity continuously acts in selfish and illiberal ways (cited in Graham, 2002: 9). Furthermore, it seems idealism in the extreme to propose that humanity is remotely close to a state in which the pejorative dimensions of human nature will be extinguished. Rather, it is far more plausible that human nature will perpetually pose restraints on political ideals. Liberalism as an idealistic perspective therefore remains subject to the restrictions posited by realism. Further, this does not look set to end any time soon. Conclusion While it is clear that a new world has emerged from the ideological rubble of the Cold War, a world defined by the liberal ideal, it is certainly not proven that realism has no more use to political science. On the contrary, realism is a pervasive system for explaining international relations: prior to and succeeding the end of the Cold War. Realism may relate to some very old political ideas; but this does not mean such ideas are ipso facto out of date. Fundamental elements of human nature, on the contrary, must be understood as timeless. In consequence, we may posit that the basic motivations that dictate human political activity today are of a similar nature to those during the Cold War or even those which obtained in centuries prior. That is to say, assuming the truth of the basic tents of realism about human nature, such insights must be taken to be as valid today as they were in the past. Following this logic, realist ideas will likely persist in relevance through the years to come. The conflict-based character of international relations will therefore continue to be a pressing concern for political science, even if liberalism continues its likely trend of preponderance. But this must be understood as an ideological manifestation, a cosmetic facet of political ideals; and such ideals are wont to change dramatically over time. Even a cursory review of the previous century demonstrates dramatic changes in political ideas. The overall political sensibility of contemporary polities is starkly different from that which obtained at the dawn of the twentieth century. Based on this observation, it seems reasonable to suppose a similar level of difference between now and one hundred years hence; yet, even so, the underlying characteristics of human nature will be continuous. For this reason, realism remains and will continue to be relevant. References D’Anieri, P., 2005. International Politics: Power and Purpose in Global Affairs. Boston, MA: Wadsworth. Donnelly, J., 2000. Realism and International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Goldman, M. F. (1997) Revolution and Change in Eastern Europe. New York: M. E. Sharpe. Graham, G., 2002. The Case Against the Democratic State: An Essay in Cultural Criticism. Thorverton: Imprint Academic. Haynes, J., Hough, P., Malik, S., & Pettiford, L., 2013. World Politics: International Relations and Globalisation in the 21st Century. Oxon: Routledge. Howard, M., 1978. War and the Liberal Conscience 2nd ed. London: Hurst. Hughes, C., 2012. Liberal Democracy as the End of History: Fukuyama and Postmodern Challenges. Oxon: Routledge. Keohane, R. O., 1989. After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press Little, R. & Smith, M., 2006. Perspectives on World Politics. London: Routledge. MacDonald, M., 2014. Overreach: Delusions of Regime Change in Iraq. Harvard: Harvard University Press. MacGinty, R. & Richmond, O., 2013. The Liberal Peace and Post-War Reco: Myth or RealityOxon: Routledge. Richardson, J. L., 2001. Contending Liberalisms in World Politics: Ideology and Power. Boulder: Rienner Publishers. Rumsey, M. G., 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Leadership. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sreedhar, S., 2010. Hobbes on Resistance: Defying the Leviathan. New York: Cambridge University Press. Waltz, K., 2000. â€Å"Structural Realism after the Cold War†. International Security, 25.1, pp. 5-41. Waltz, K., 1959. Man, the State, and War. New York: Columbia University Press.

Discuus the Main Barriers of Participation in Sport Essays

Discuus the Main Barriers of Participation in Sport Essays Discuus the Main Barriers of Participation in Sport Essay Discuus the Main Barriers of Participation in Sport Essay Discuss: The main barriers of participation in sport According to Cryer (2008): Sports development is a form . of social intervention comprising sets of principles, processes and practices that seek to provide opportunities designed to motivate and encourage people to take part in sport and physical activity at all levels of ability and through all stages of the life cycle for a variety of personal and societal rationales. 1 Sport and physical activity is not just for those who play at a competitive level, it is inclusive of physical activity to enhance the social, mental and physical well-being of the entire population. National concerns about obesity, poor health, community cohesion and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) have resulted in physical activity and sport being recognised as an agent in combating many of these problems however there are still barrier elements which prevent many people from participating in sport and physical activity. There may be barriers of participation in sport for some people due to historical reasons being that there is no tradition of sports participation in a family or family generation and also could relate to certain sports being associated with prejudicial circumstances due to a historical or religious background. For example many people living in a predominantly protestant area in Northern Ireland would not participate in Gaelic Football due to racial- religious prejudices owing to a historical feud between catholics and protestants. Another recognised barrier is health related in that those who suffer from illness or disease may not have the capacity to participate in local accessible sport and also may not have the economics/transportation means to attend physical activity elsewhere that is recommended for their medical condition. Obesity, poor diet (lack of energy), disability, poor hygiene and lack of educational awareness in the benefits of physical activity are all associated with being barriers of participation in sport. Social barriers such as discrimination due to gender, age, sexual orientation and cultural differences are also a contributing factor to barriers of participation. According to the Centre for Youth Sport and Athlete Welfare: Social attitudes have meant that there has been a reluctance even to recognise that sports participation by those whose sexual orientation is anything other 1 Cryer J. (2008) www. sportdevelopment. rg. uk 1 _. . than heterosexual can be problematic. 2 Research also indicates that participation in physical activity for women, older people and those from ethnic minorities are not consistent and this may be due to factors inclusive of a lack of companionship to attend, fear of ridicule, lack of awareness of the benefits, isolation factors and also a lack of affordable childcare facilities for women with children. By far the greatest barrier is the economical exclusion of people living in poverty or with socioeconomic obstacles such as unemployment, living in large family households and one parent families. In addition to this there is the dilemma of double disadvantage if these target groups are living in a deprived urban/rural area with poor infrastructure, lack of facilities and poor transport services. This results in the further exclusion of many people and in some cases the exclusion of entire communities to participate in sport and physical activities. Sadly this is a major contributing factor to why a community becomes dysfunctional and in order to understand a community we must acknowledge the basic human needs to form and keep social connections, to develop a sense of belonging, and to furth. er increase a self-identity. The government and local authorities need to recognise the arena of inputs from local community voluntary sports/youth clubs and identify that these organisations necessitate sustainable funding to support local communities, assist to overcome barriers of participation and offer outlets for people to be socially and physically involved in sport and fitness activities. They are in a unique position to offer the basic ingredients of self-worth: knowledge, cultural diversity and awareness and can be organised to deliver programmes that engage with abilities and disabilities introducing positive identity structures. With so many barriers to overcome being historical, health related social and economical, for the effective participation of all in society, the government and local authorities need to have coherent planning and thinking in community sports development and its contributions to promoting sport and physical activity that enhances positive mental, physical and social wellbeing. 2 Brackenridge C. , Alldred P. , Jarvis A. , Rivers I. , (2008) A Review of Sexual Orientation in Sport sportscotland Research Report no. 14. for. sportscotland, Sport Northem Ireland, Sport England, UK Sport (Centre for Youth Sport and Athlete Welfare, Brunei) page 7 2 : _ _. . _1 Bibliography: Cryer J. , (2008) www. sportdevelopment. org. uk Brackenridge C. , Alldred P. , Jarvis A. , Rivers I. , (2008) A Review of Sexual Orientation in Sport sportscotland Research Report no. 114. Research study for: sportscotland, Sport Northern Ireland, Sport England, UK Sport (Centre for Youth Sport and Athlete Welfare, Brunei) page 7 . 3 . -.

The Ferret essays

The Ferret essays Often the source of prejudice and ignorance, the ferret is one of the most loving, misunderstood animals there is. The general consensus seems to be that they are dangerous and could hurt children. However, these creatures do have very different personalities and attitudes and some could be mean. But, this is very uncommon and could be true of any creature. Each is separate and yet alike. Colors vary and can include: black, sable, chocolate, albino with red eyes, albino with black eyes, blaze, silver, etc. Also, their weights range from .75lb 3lbs. The females are almost always smaller than the males. Some are long like tubes, and others are shorter and quite plump and, of course, they can range anywhere in between. Their diet consists of fruits, specially formulated foods, high-quality cat food, some like milk, and each ferret has a taste for particular things that another might despise. They eat less than a cup a day of food. They drink large quantities of water. They are often seen playing together. They prefer playmates, because alone they become depressed. This can easily be determined if you notice they become less active or sleep more than they usually do. Observing these creatures it is noted that they seem to have a preference for plastic bags and fleece blankets. They often become fascinated by bags, and spend many an hour jumping about in them. They will jump with their backs arched and make a chuckling sound referred to as Dooking. After careful observations this is determined to be a way for them to express their happiness. On the other hand when they are frustrated, angry or just plain upset they will hiss and back up a lot. They let you know how they are feeling by expressing it vocally and with their movements. It is interesting to note that when one holds a ferret by the scruff of their neck, the ferret immediately relaxes and goes limp. Holding them this way doesnt hurt the...

Origin of the Word Protestant

Origin of the Word Protestant A Protestant is someone who follows one of the numerous branches of Protestantism, the form of Christianity created during the Reformation of the sixteenth century and spread across Europe and later the world. The term Protestant, therefore, came into use in the sixteenth century, and unlike many historical terms, you can work out what it means with a little bit of guesswork: it is, quite simply, all about protest. To be a Protestant was, essentially, to be a protestor. Origin of Protestant In 1517, the theologian Martin Luther spoke out against the established Latin Church in Europe on the subject of indulgences. There had been many critics of the Catholic Church before, and many had been crushed easily by the monolithic central structure. Some had been burned, and Luther faced their fate by starting an open war. But the anger at many aspects of a church considered corrupt and venal was growing, and when Luther nailed his theses to a church door (an established way of starting debate), he found he could gain patrons strong enough to protect him. As the Pope decided how best to deal with Luther, the theologian and his colleagues effectively evolved a new form of the Christian religion in a series of writings which were exciting, frenzied, and which would be revolutionary. This new form (or rather, new forms) were taken up by many princes and towns of the German empire. Debate ensued, with the Pope, Emperor, and Catholic governments on one side and members of the new church on the other. This sometimes involved genuine debate in the traditional sense of people standing, speaking their views, and letting another person follow, and sometimes involved the sharp end of weapons. The debate covered all of Europe and beyond. In 1526, a meeting of the Reichstag (in practice, a form of German imperial parliament) issued the Recess of 27 August, stating that each individual government within the empire could decide which religion they wished to follow. It would have been a triumph of religious freedom, had it lasted. However, a new Reichstag which met in 1529 was not so amenable to the Lutherans, and the Emperor canceled the Recess. In response, the followers of the new church issued the Protest, which protested against the cancellation on April 19th. Despite differences in their theology, Southern German cities aligned with Swiss reformer Zwingli joined other German powers following Luther to sign on to the ‘Protest’ as one. They thus became known as Protestants, those who protested. There would be many different variations of reformed thought within Protestantism, but the term stuck for the overall group and concept. Luther, amazingly when you consider what had happened to rebels in the past, was able to live and thrive rather than be killed, and the Protestant church established itself so strongly, it shows no signs of vanishing. However, there were wars and much bloodshed in the process, including the Thirty Years War which has been called as devastating for Germany as the conflicts of the twenty-first century.​​

Drug Trafficking in the UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Drug Trafficking in the UAE - Essay Example The United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s fastest growing economies as well as tourist destinations. Recently, the attraction of this region to international drug syndicates has heightened awareness by UAE authorities in addressing this danger. This brief paper shall highlight the drug trafficking problem that threatens the federation, and the measures that have been adopted within the past decade to ensure the region’s security. Concepts that will be discussed involve: drug trafficking, which includes the sales, distribution, possession with intent to distribute or sell, manufacturing, and smuggling of controlled substances (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn); drug abuse, which involves taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect; drug possession, or the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one’s possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise; and narcotics, which are d rugs that produce numbness or stupor, and are often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction. Developments in the drug trafficking problem The UAE has been lauded by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the UN organization that monitors anti-drug activities worldwide, for the efforts made by the federation to fight drug abuse and trafficking. Evidence of these have been documented by news articles in the media, some of the more recent and more remarkable of which are presented here: 1.The Emirati Navy, Coast Guards, and other maritime coalition forces operating in the Gulf cooperated through information exchange and maritime coalition, in the seizure of nearly 30 tonnes of hashish at sea in just four months.

Marketing in a Foreign Country Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing in a Foreign Country - Case Study Example Therefore, in this case, the paper is going to consider the following products such as men’s neckties in Saudi Arabia, digital cameras in South Africa and men’s shoes in Russia. The aforementioned nations have varied cultures and traditions that may have adverse effects of marketing of products and acquisition of profits. It is also imperative to note that culture affects numerous facets of international trade in the context of rejection from consumers and lack of sales in the market. For example, in South Africa, they believe in the culture called ‘Ubuntu.’ Ubuntu means the art of loving one another through sharing and assistance (Clark, 2008). Therefore, for a business to prosper in a country especially in terms of promotion and advertising, it should factor the aspect of ‘Ubuntu.’ In other words the promotions should lean on the guiding ideals of ‘Ubuntu’ that will motivate consumers to buy the products. Additionally, another fa ctor that would require product change entails the culture of social mores. In South Africa, women are still considered inferior and hence the company that wishes to sell its digital cameras should employ more men than women to attract more customers. However, when it comes to men’s neckties in Saudi Arabia, it is a different case. ... On that aspect, sale of men’s ties should mostly be targeted at the foreigners who are exempted from the rigid dress code. Alternatively, these neckties should be accompanied by long trousers and shirts that make the wearer decent by covering the upper torso. This suggests in the context of packing size the men’s neckties should come with additional shirts and long trousers to compliment the decency. Furthermore, in terms of promotion and advertising in the media, Saudi Arabia has a limited freedom of the press and the expression of opinion in public. In other words, when the foreign company is making its advertisements, it should not arouse conflicts of traditional Islamic values. These include questioning the role of women in Saudi Arabia such as encouraging them to also buy men’s ties. When it comes to Russia and its sale of men’s shoes, there are varied cultures that would affect packaging size, promotion, and advertising. For instance, it is essential to observe that Russia has a rich culture that dates to many centuries with significant achievements. On that account, the dress code is much respected especially in the business context and hence its promotion consists of different things. Therefore, for a foreign company to succeed in Russia, it is crucial to observe shoes supposed to be highly polished at all times. Additionally, men are required to wear business suits that depict formality and conservatism (Nickles, 2008). This suggests that the packaging size of men’s shoes should also come with complimenting men’s suits. However, in terms of promotion, it should not so business. Russians dislike people who are so business and hence it should be made friendly and casual. Additionally, when conducting an advertisement

Bloodsworth v. State 76 Md.App.23,543 A.2d 382 Research Paper

Bloodsworth v. State 76 Md.App.23,543 A.2d 382 - Research Paper Example Though Bloodsworth did have an idea of the actual person who committed the crime, he thought about ways to prove his innocence. It was until 1992 that Bloodsworth introduced the idea of DNA testing, which together with lawyer Bob Morin he pushed for consideration as part of the evidence. Findings by Edward Blake of the Forensic Science Associates (FSA) in April of 1993 excluded Bloodsworth. Similar tests conducted by FBI to determine correctness of the tests of FSA showed a mismatch between the DNA in the examined underwear of the victim and that of Bloodsworth (McNamara, 2009). The state then moved quickly to dismiss the charges, and the court approved $300,000 compensation to Bloodsworth for lost earning during the detention. The case is important considering that it was the first to apply DNA test to exonerate a suspect. In this case, the court did great in the admissibility of the forensic science evidence to determine the truth. Dawn Hamilton, a 9 years old girl visiting her father during summer in 1984 missed when searching for her cousin Lisa near their residence in Rosedale, Maryland. Someone approached Dawn and offered to help in the search into nearby forest wood where the investigators found a mutilated body of Dawn. Two boys who were fishing in a nearby lake saw the man move with Dawn into the wood. After discovery of the body, the two boys assisted the police into recreating a composite of the appearance of the suspect. Upon publication of the composite, someone claimed that image resembled Kirk Bloodsworth. The police move to present the picture of Bloodsworth to the boys for identification. One boy could not link the picture with the suspect they saw. Another claimed that the picture resembled the suspect but there was a problem with the hair. Nonetheless, police obtained arrest warrant and arrested

How have changes in the world economy since 1945 affected room for Essay

How have changes in the world economy since 1945 affected room for manoeuvre of multinational firms - Essay Example The years 1945 and the early 1950 have experienced a fall in the multinational investments. One of the prominent reasons behind a fall in the foreign direct investments was spread of communism combined with the harsh impacts of World War II. There was a spread of Communism in the Eastern Europe in the late 1940’s, and China experienced it in 1949 (Jones, 2005, p.30). During the war, USA was the only country in which experienced a significant increase in foreign direct investments. However, there was an eventual fall in the investments followed by a dramatic growth of the domestic economy. After the World War II, there was a major geo-political division of the world. This division was between the capitalist West, the communist East and the Third World (Dicken, 2010, p.16). This division proved to be very important for the multinationals. This is because it was through this division that the companies determined their strategies to expand or to internationalize. An independent economic system was made by the Eastern Block, as it drew boundaries around itself and the Eastern European Satellites. This boundary was made so that the foreign companies could remain outside, hence they were entirely excluded (Jones, 2005, p.31). The Western Economic order was seen to be much dominated by the US. Western dominance advocated for liberalism at the same time they maintained strict protectionist policies. Moreover, the previously decolonized countries from the 1950’s were being colonized and this led to an unprecedented beginning of internationalization and the emergence of a global economy (Hewitt, 2000, p.289). Most of the countries consider themselves to have observed resurrection from the early 1950’s, when the USA was left in a unique powerful position. It was because of Bretton Woods’s system that dollar was set as gold convertible, which made it a major reserve currency of the world. Majority of

Qualities of a Successful International Marketing Strategy Essay

Qualities of a Successful International Marketing Strategy - Essay Example International marketing strategy is rooted in an investigation of the level of globalisation of different features of the market setting, such as variations and similarities in consumer preferences, culture, socioeconomic standing, technological standards, and so on. Therefore, it is evident that companies aspiring to compete successfully in global markets have to develop a decisive, purposeful, and appropriately designed international marketing strategy that is derived from a comprehensive knowledge of the markets which the organisation is operating in or aiming at. The Three Qualities Global markets are an aggressive environment that demands regular monitoring and assessment. Marketing strategies should be able to adapt to the dynamic nature of global markets. Innovation is an integral success factor, not merely with regard to product and/or service but the entire process of marketing. Value-oriented marketing and financial strategies are all turning out to be vital factors in the execution of a successful international marketing strategy (Doole & Lowe, 2008). Therefore, the mission of international marketing is to guarantee that all global strategies have the strength of comprehensive analysis and knowledge and precise assessment of what is needed to gain the most coveted competitive advantage. There are numerous essential qualities for successful international marketing strategy. But this essay focuses only on three qualities, namely, successful development of recognised local brands, strong brand extensions, and solid customer relations. First, a successful international marketing strategy is able to expand a local brand into a global brand, bringing brand strategy and value to a larger number of countries. The most excellent case in point of an initially national brand that eventually became international is Coca-Cola. In 1902, Coca-Cola decided to go beyond the United States. It was able to penetrate the market of 76 nations by 1929 (Hill & Jones, 2012, p. 286). During the Second World War, the company already has 63 factories across the globe. Its international expansion carried on after the war, motivated partly by the assumption that the U.S. market would sooner or later mature and by the belief that massive prospects for growth rest abroad (Hill & Jones, 2012, p. 286). Until the 1980s, Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy may most appropriately be described as a localisation strategy. Local marketing activities were given a high level of autonomy to handle their own activities. But everything changed when Roberto Goizueta became the company’s chief executive in 1981. He restored focus on the leading brands of Coca-Cola, which were expanded with the launching of Cherry Coke, Diet Coke, and others (Doole & Lowe, 2008, p. 8). His main assumption was that the major dissimilarity between the global markets and the United States was the lower consumption level of the global markets. Goizueta transformed the company into a glo bal one, consolidating much of the marketing operations and management at the company’s head office in Atlanta, placing emphasis on major brands. This wholesale strategy was based on standardisation by, for instance, employing the same marketing strategy across the globe (Hill & Jones, 2012, p. 286). However, this wholesale marketing strategy eventually became

How have changes in the world economy since 1945 affected room for Essay

How have changes in the world economy since 1945 affected room for manoeuvre of multinational firms - Essay Example The years 1945 and the early 1950 have experienced a fall in the multinational investments. One of the prominent reasons behind a fall in the foreign direct investments was spread of communism combined with the harsh impacts of World War II. There was a spread of Communism in the Eastern Europe in the late 1940’s, and China experienced it in 1949 (Jones, 2005, p.30). During the war, USA was the only country in which experienced a significant increase in foreign direct investments. However, there was an eventual fall in the investments followed by a dramatic growth of the domestic economy. After the World War II, there was a major geo-political division of the world. This division was between the capitalist West, the communist East and the Third World (Dicken, 2010, p.16). This division proved to be very important for the multinationals. This is because it was through this division that the companies determined their strategies to expand or to internationalize. An independent economic system was made by the Eastern Block, as it drew boundaries around itself and the Eastern European Satellites. This boundary was made so that the foreign companies could remain outside, hence they were entirely excluded (Jones, 2005, p.31). The Western Economic order was seen to be much dominated by the US. Western dominance advocated for liberalism at the same time they maintained strict protectionist policies. Moreover, the previously decolonized countries from the 1950’s were being colonized and this led to an unprecedented beginning of internationalization and the emergence of a global economy (Hewitt, 2000, p.289). Most of the countries consider themselves to have observed resurrection from the early 1950’s, when the USA was left in a unique powerful position. It was because of Bretton Woods’s system that dollar was set as gold convertible, which made it a major reserve currency of the world. Majority of