Franklin Roosevelt foreign policies from 1937 to 1941 Essay

â€Å"To a greater or lesser extent, three factors were involved in explaining U.S response to Japanese and German aggression, economics, national security, and democratic values,† these factors influenced Franklin Roosevelt foreign policies from 1937 to 1941. America’s Involvement in World War two not only contributed in the eventual downfall of Adolph Hitler, but also came at the precise time and moment. Had the United States entered the war any earlier the consequences might have been worse. The U.S. desired to avoid foreign entanglements of all kinds had been an American foreign policy for more a long time. The U.S. was under geographical isolation and it permitted the U.S. to fill up the empty lands of North America free from the threat of foreign conflict. As stated in Document D, that â€Å"the American people cannot put their faith in me without recording my conviction that some form of selective service is the only democratic way in which to secure the trained and competent manpower we need for national defense.† This explains how the American people need to face with in foreign nations. Also in Document H, shows that if the U.S. focuses on protecting the country, no foreign army will ever attempt to land on American shores. The health of the American economy could not be jeopardized and it was Roosevelt’s view that the United States would fare well whether Europe went to war or not. For most of the 1930 the United States traded as openly with Germany and Japan, as it did with any other country. Japan relied on fuel oil and iron until 1941. Germany was one of the United States most important markets during the 1930, American investments in Germany increased by forty per cent between 1936 and 1940. The chart from Document G shows the effect of WWII on the American industry and it shows an increase of profits and lower business failures. The real concern of American business was not the rights or wrongs of trading with fascism but the fear that commercial rivals such as Japan and Germany would exclude American goods from Europe and Asia altogether. Adolf Hitler, leading the Nazi Party, took power in Germany and eliminated its democratic government. Document C reveals that without democracy, the country will have no power to maintain the illusion of security, and shall have no business, but primitive self-defense. The Allies valued democracy because they are vitally concerned in the defense for freedom. Factors that influenced Franklin Roosevelt foreign policies are economics, national security, and democratic values. Roosevelt lead the United States every step of the way and he did a superb job in bringing America into war. If the principles of democracy mean anything at all, that is enough reason for the U.S. to stay out of the war. One of the reasons given was that unless America was directly threatened they had no reason to be involved. This reason was a valid one because it was the American policy to stay neutral in any affairs not having to with them unless American soil was threatened directly. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II Documents American Pageant Book

Toward a Typology of Food Security in Developing Countries,Governance Division, and International Food Policy Research Institute. Essay

Global Food Supplies Introduction Question 1                   Globalization and technology enable food producers to access a wider market, increase opportunities, and competition with food supply and consumption. Countries and agricultural multinationals position their supply systems, according tothe global market. Food supply requires a systematic analysis of the food production processes and strategies for ensuring consistency in production and supply chain. Collaboration and partnerships at various levels has been adopted to facilitate in large-scale production, processing, and supply. The following study will discuss the problems with global food supplies, possible solutions, and the implicationsof the suggested solutions. Discussion                   According to Bingxin et al. (2010),availability of food, its accessibility, utility of food, and stability are vital in global food supply.These are the conceptual factors of food supply and food security. Availability of food in one part of the world does not guarantee supply to the parts with scarcity. Accessibility of food is dependent on international relations between countries and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Utility of food affects supply of food because of the cultural orientation towards certain types of food. Other than the conceptual aspects, Thomsett (2011) and Olson (2012) believed that problems in the food supply could stem from the product value chain and the supply chain. The food process chain may comprise of production at the farm level, storage, processing facilities, transportation of the processed foodstuff, distributors, and retailers. Farmers require modern technology and machines to handl e the produce into the form that can be exported. Lack of processing mills and plants limit the food supply into the developed economies (Bingxin et al., 2010). Inadequate storage facilities affect the global food supply because of food wastageat the production level. Perishable foodstuff requires quick transportation and modern preservation methods such as the use of refrigerators (Frankenberger et al., 2014).                   Geopolitical interests andsanctions affect global food supply. Countries that face sanctions may be limited in terms of the types of food they can import or export. For instance,sanctions have affected food supply Europe to Russia in the current sanctions between the some of the countries in Europe and Russia. North Korea also faces challenges in the food supplybecause of sanctions (Thomsett, 2011).Olson (2012) indicated that terrorism affects food supply because of the disruption of the food production and supply chain. Terrorism also affects the farming system because the farmers take alternatives that suit the prevailing conditions in the regions that are prone to terrorism.Agricultural terrorism affects global food supply. Agricultural terrorism is a form of bioterrorism where terrorists introduce animal and plant disease in the region in order to destabilize food production (Olson, 2012). Climate change and natural disasters cause problems in global food supply. Climate change affects the agricultural systems by causing shortages in water supply, flooding, and general inconstancies in weather conditions. Uncertainties in weather make prediction and planning difficult for farmers a factor that eventually affects global food supply (Thomsett, M, 2011; Bingxin et al., 2010).                   Carpenter et al. (2013) held the view that decentralization of food production would help in reducing the challenges of global food supply. Decentralization augments the conceptual aspects of food supply such as accessibility and stability. In this case,the logistics of ensuring the food reaches the consumer are less complicated because the food is within the locality of the user. Adoption of better food production methods and technologies can also help in dealing with the threats of global food supply. Mechanized farming and research in drought tolerant crops are some of the modern approaches that ensure consistency in food supply(Frankenberger et al., 2014).                   Improved international relations with the trade partners and collaboration in research and food production will enhance global food supply. Countries and food producers may sign trade agreements that facilitate food supply. Negotiations on specific food processing and quality can improveworld food supply. Farmers and food processing multinational may share technologies and intelligence on bioterrorism to reduce agricultural terrorism (Carpenter et al., 2013; Olson, 2012).                   Decentralization of food production affects the management of production and product copyrights.Different countries and regions have unique approaches to food production. The climatic and physical conditions differ from one country to another. Decentralization of production will require a strategy of aligning the processes, policies, and objectives of all the stakeholders.High costs of adoption and mitigation measures for climate change and natural disasters affect food supply. Research on crops, animals, and farming systems that are tolerant to climate change requires long terms strategies and resources(Carpenter et al., 2013; Olson, 2012). Conclusion                   Stability in global food supply requires a multidimensional approach. Olson (2012) showed that dealing with bioterrorism involves researchers in agricultural biotechnology and the security agencies. According toFrankenberger (2014) sustainable food supply, depends on sharing technical information on climate change. Capacity building at the production level affects the consistency of food supply. Technical information on greenhouse emissions at the local level and on a global scale can help in formulating policies on sustainability of the supply chain. Food supply also relies on the co-operation of food supply multinationals, Non-Governmental organizations, and trade organizations. References Bingxin, Y et al. 2010, Toward a Typology of Food Security in Developing Countries,Governance Division, and International Food Policy Research Institute. Carpenter, J, Moore, M, Alexander, N, & Doherty, M 2013, ‘Consumer demographics, Ethno centralism, cultural values, and consumer culture in a retail perspective’, Journal of marketing management, 29, 4, pp. 271- 291. Business source complete, EBSCOHost, viewed 13 December 2014. Frankenberger, T, Costas, M, Nelson, S, & Starr, L 2014, Building resilience for food and nutrition. Washington, DC: International food Policy research Institute. Olson, D 2012, Agroterrorism: threats to America’s economy and food supply, FBI law enforcement bulletin, Business source complete, EBSCOHost, viewed 13 December 2014. Thomsett, M 2011, ‘Global supply chain risk management: Viewing the past to manage today’s risk from an historical perspective’, Review of management innovation and creativity, 4, 9, pp.44-64, Business source complete, EBSCOHost, viewed 13 December 2014. Source document

A Breath of Fresh Air

It is common knowledge that second hand smoke is extremely dangerous for your health and even more dangerous to infants and children. Exposure to second hand smoke causes 150,000 to 300,000 acute lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchitis) annually in children 18 months and younger; these infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year. Second hand smoke exposure causes buildup of fluid in the middle of the ear, resulting in childhood operations and of childhood hearing loss. A California EPA study estimates that 46,000 (range is between 22,700 and 69,600) cardiovascular deaths, 3400 lung cancer deaths and 430 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths are annually associated with second hand smoke exposure. 1 Many children are essentially forced to breathe in toxic fumes and particulates due to their parents’, siblings’, and surrounding elders’ poor choices. Enforcing stricter smoking laws and regulations can drastically help the effects second hand smoke causes in children’s health. â€Å"Choice† is a key word and the children do not have one. It is up to us, as responsible adults, to protect them and give them a healthy living environment for them to grow and develop in. Second- hand smoke, side-stream smoke or passive smoke can affect anyone near it, including innocent children which are sometimes overlooked. Infants and young children are especially susceptible since their lungs are still developing and childhood exposure to second hand smoke results in decreased lung function. Children who breathe second hand smoke are more likely to suffer from cough, wheeze, phlegm and breathlessness. There are many ways we can help protect them with simple changes in the way we live today. While Environmental Tobacco Smoke exposure, otherwise known as ETS, is on the decline in California due to increased public awareness of its harmful effects, smoking in vehicles still poses a very real threat to vehicle occupants, especially children. Smoking can cause respirable suspended particle, otherwise known as RSP, and CO levels in cars to reach high levels when the windows are open or closed. Recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health has shown that ETS in cars can reach levels comparable to smoky bars or restaurants. In addition, smoke can settle on car surfaces, including child safety seats, making it possible for children to pick up ETS with their fingers, which they may place in their mouths, causing them to ingest ETS particles. In fact, next to workplaces, homes and cars are considered the most unhealthy places in terms of ETS exposure, again particularly for children. One step that we have made in the right direction towards car air quality for children, is Article 2. 5 Smoking in Motor Vehicles 118947, the Marco Firebaugh Memorial Children’s Health and Safety Act of 2007, otherwise known as the â€Å"Smoke Free Cars† law. It was enforced as of January 1st 2008 and states that it is unlawful for a person to smoke a pipe, cigar, or cigarette in a motor vehicle, whether in motion or at rest, in which there is a minor. A violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for each violation. Even though this new law is a great start to shielding children’s health problems from second hand smoke, there are still things that can be changed within this same law to maximize its power. For instance, this law states that a law enforcement officer shall not stop a vehicle for the sole purpose of determining whether the driver is in violation of this article. This part of the act should be changed, giving law enforcement the power to stop a vehicle just to determine whether a violation is taking place so that this law can have more of an impact. This act also punishes the violators by placing a fine of no more than one hundred dollars for each violation. I feel that this punishment is not enough and should be raised to a higher fine of at least two hundred and fifty dollars per offense with the ability for the fine amount to increase with each following offense. Higher penalties for the violation of this law would help make people understand the severity of their actions and hopefully change their habits. An act to amend Sections 19994. 30 and 19994. 33 of Part 2. 6 of Division 5 of the Government Code relating to tobacco, states that no public employee or member of the public shall smoke any tobacco product inside a public building, or in an outdoor area within twenty feet of a main exit, entrance, or operable window of a public building. When walking up to a building with people smoking twenty feet from the entrance, the presence of smoke is still very strong and apparent to almost anyone walking through it. Twenty feet from an entrance, exit, or operable window to a building is still too close for people to be smoking without risking second hand smoke effects. The current Surgeon General’s Report states that there is no risk-free level of second hand smoke exposure. Even brief exposures can be harmful to children. If this distance were to be changed to twice the amount, it would allow for a larger pathway to enter or exit a building without having to suffer from exposure we are currently bare to under the current law of only twenty feet. Another part of today’s law that should be revisited and updated is the current smoking age. The California law for buying tobacco products (cigarettes) is eighteen. up the habit before the age of twenty-one. 5 Raising the required age to purchase cigarettes to twenty-five would greatly shrink the potential dangers of having ignorant and uneducated smokers poisoning others around them. Being eighteen years of age does not necessarily mean you can make adult decisions. Besides raising the legal smoking age, doing things like demanding television channels to air more anti-smoking ads, like the truth commercials, or just airing the anti-smoking ads more frequently during prime time hours would decrease the current smoker numbers and prevent future smokers from picking up the dangerously addictive habit and in turn, damaging children’s health due to second hand smoke. Education is the best deterrent to preventing smokers to smoke and potential smokers to start. Although we can cut down on children’s contact to second hand smoke in and around public buildings and now even in vehicles, there is still the huge problem of the second hand smoke that is inhaled by children in their own home. The National Survey on Environmental Management of Asthma and Children’s Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (NSEMA/CEE) (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004) has found that 11% of children aged 6 years and under are exposed to ETS in their homes on a regular basis (4 or more days per week) compared to 20% in the 1998 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and that parents are responsible for 90% of children’s exposure to ETS. Children face a higher risk than adults of the negative effects of secondhand smoke. Not only is a childs body still developing physically, but their breathing rate is faster than that of adults. Adults breathe in and out approximately 14 to 18 times a minute, where newborns can breathe as many as 60 times a minute. Up until a child is about 5 years old, the respiratory rate is quite fast; usually between 20 and 60 breaths per minute. When the air is tainted with cigarette smoke, young, developing lungs receive a higher concentration of inhaled toxins than do older lungs. 6 To cut down on children involuntarily inhaling second hand smoking in the home, a new law should be passed making it illegal to smoke in your house, apartment, condo, trailer, etc. if there are children living there. Cigarette smoking should only be permitted outdoors on the porch or balcony with the door and windows closed and the person smoking being of no less than forty feet from the entrance, exit, or windows. Harsh fines should be put into action if parents, siblings, family members or even babysitters decide to smoke indoors with children currently living there. With these laws into place we can protect our children and give them a much stronger chance of living a long healthy life. One great law that the Government has implemented in order to reduce the appeal of smoking and the risks of second hand smoke, chiefly dwindling the amount of smokers in the United States, is the taxes on tobacco. In California, due to proposition 10, every pack of cigarettes sold has an automatic eighty-seven cent tax attached to it. California is ranked 30th among all fifty states when it comes to cigarette taxes, where as New Jersey is ranked number one, with a $2. 7 tax added to each pack sold. The more taxes added to tobacco purchases the more money there will be present for paying for health and smoking-cessation programs. Tobacco products are taxed by the Tobacco Products Surtax, which is currently 46. 7% of the cost of the product. Tobacco products include cigars, unrolled tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, and any other product, which contains 50 percent tobacco or more. The California State Board of Equalization determines the annual surtax rate. Proposition 86 would amend the state constitution by raising the tax on cigarettes in California an additional $2. 64 per pack above the current cost of about $4. 00 a pack, effectively raising the cost of a pack of cigarettes to close to $7. 00. The Board of Equalization is required by state law to increase taxes on other tobacco products in an amount equivalent to any increase in the tax on cigarettes. Prop. 86, therefore, would increase the excise tax on other tobacco products. Proposition 86 ould likely increase excise tax revenues for about $2. 1 billion annually in 2007-08. 7 Unfortunately proposition 86 did not pass and cigarettes in California only have an eight-seven cent tax on them. Making cigarettes unaffordable is a great way to reduce the number of tobacco consumers however the taxes should be steeper in order to effectively lessen cigarette purchases. If this higher tax would be implemented, there would be fewer and fewer smokers, which makes for lesser and lesser second hand smoke. With all the new rules and regulations enforced; smoke free cars, extending the distance of smoking by entryway, increasing the age to purchase cigarettes, prohibiting smoking in the home with children living there, and the increased taxes on cigarettes, innocent bystanders will remarkably suffer less then they do now by second hand smoke. Ignorance today is causing children to experience asthma, and even die from SIDS. The changes that I have proposed in the laws could help people decide to quit smoking or at the very least be smarter about where, how, and who they smoke around. Though refraining from smoking may not be easy because it is extremely addictive, the best solution to ending second hand smoke is to convince the public to quit. â€Å"If you can’t quit for yourself, quit for your kids. Kids of parents who smoke are more likely to start smoking themselves when they get older. † If you can’t quit, at least don’t smoke inside your home or your car or other places that your children will be directly exposed to the smoke. 8 The most important thing is that we keep educating ourselves on smoking safety for us and those around us also, focusing on the risks we are taking every time we decide to smoke a cigarette.

Convert most of the Universitys Undergraduate Teaching to Online Essay

Convert most of the Universitys Undergraduate Teaching to Online Courses - Essay Example The other reasons are such that, an online program is cheaper, and it also allows most people to achieve their education with their preferred universities without having to attend the universities physically. There has been a crisis in the job market where some industries lack enough trained personnel to fill the required deficit. Some of these industries or sectors include the medical industry as well as other technical fields that require thoroughly trained specialists. One of the reasons why these sectors do not have adequately trained personnel could be because such disciplines require more facilities per students to train. According to the law of demand and supply, when there are few trained specialists, there is a high demand for them in the market. Hence, there is a need to add more trained personnel to meet this growing demand. To be able to increase training of this required personnel, the online study methods are the most appropriate. With online study program, many students can enroll and be taught at the same time without occupying any physical space.The second reason for converting undergraduate programs to online courses is because of it affordability. Given the fact that th ere will be no physical space occupied, meaning, less and fewer resources will be used in teaching. This clearly shows that many people will be able to afford the online courses offered through the online study method as the courses will be cheaper than the usual prices. This will translate into higher many people being trained. When many people are trained, the rate of innovation will definitely increase since and the country will have its economic development levels increase. When there are many trained personnel, there will also be adequate human resources for the country to stir up its economy. Usually, the higher the number of untrained citizens in a country, the poorer the country becomes since the unemployment rate increases.

Reading Response # 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Response # 4 - Essay Example nd other media, from where the Arab countries came from in terms of access to information, the popularity of satellite TV can already be considered as a positive development as it gives them greater freedom in terms of content of the medium. In a study made by Sakr among the Arab youth, the study reported that most Arab youths spent at least three a hours a day on TV (81). While this may be a spike in terms of the number of hours of exposure to TV among the youth in the Middle East, the figure is not unusual comparing to other youths in the rest of the world. Just like any other kid from the rest of the world, Arab youths also love to watch TV. Perhaps this concern of increased number of hours of watching satellite TV among the Arab youth came from the perspective that there was no such popularity of TV watching before as the state used to control the content of TV. Satellite beaming changed the media landscape for it rendered authoritarian governments powerless in controlling the content of this media. In turn, its audience, particularly the youth, found a greater sense of freedom in terms of content, hence the extended number of hours watching it. Freedom may be a given and an overlooked concept in the western world but it is a big deal in Middle East. In a study done again by Sakr (83), the findings showed that the main reason why educated Arabs left and wanting to leave their respective home countries is because of the lack of freedom. Television may have a powerful influence in a society but it has to be taken in its proper context. TV is just a platform of information and entertainment, and to a certain extent, a medium of public discourse. Compared to a state controlled content, satellite beaming of TV networks such as Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) Lebanese-based Future TV in 1995, Qatar-based al-Jazeera, Lebanese LBCI, Syrian-owned, London-based ANN etch is way better because there is a degree of freedom over the content

Packing in school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Packing in school - Research Paper Example The federal government have also implemented reductions in salt and saturated fat, trans fats in addition to the proper portion of lunches for children according to their age. The standards were based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and developed by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (Mientka, 2013). In 2011, to encourage healthful eating, Chicago schools implemented the media approbation for a long- standing policy that banned homemade lunches. They were allowed only for those children who had any doctor’s notes. The policy was initiated on the basis of observations that stated that students were bringing bottles of soda and bags of hot chips for lunches. A peanut butter has also been banned by schools. However, that aroused mass protests among parents, when schools started bringing in  rules banning nut- free spreads. Schools were defending their decisions by stating that nut- free products looked much like real peanut butter and that stressed out those children with allergies (Eng & Hood, 2011). Critics, however, assume that schools along with the federal government thought of everything, but for the children good. Asserting in schools of such lunch programs was called by the desire to enrich the pockets of corporations. Besides, people stated that that was the perfect demonstration of how the governments one-size-fits-all requirement on nutrition works. However, it failed again, because some parents desired to pack a gluten- free meal for a child and others had no problem with their child to enjoy soda. Lunch policies, whether they are dictated by the desire to form better understanding of how should a child eat every day or they are simply at school’s hand, they do not have to dictate parents how to pack in their kids’ lunches and what to put inside the lunch bag.  Banning of certain products or lunch meals as they are put teaches and government in

Social context of Health and Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Social context of Health and Illness - Essay Example In the Act, Edwin envisioned that the prevention of disease was possible if there were proper waste disposal and sewerage systems. In particular, Edwin felt that the clearance of huge chunks of decomposing organic matter from highly populated areas could reduce infections. He also advocated the introduction of high-pressure flushing sewers and utmost care in food handling. Louis Pasteur is known for his development of the germ theory of disease (Germov and Hornosty). His belief was that every disease had a causative agent that entered the human body. Upon entry, the germ causes a deviance in an individual’s body normal functioning. Pasteur’s line of thought became the basis of modern medicine (Germov and Hornosty). Modern medicine advocates hygiene and sterilization procedures especially in surgical operations as a way of preventing disease. Louis Pasteur believes that if identified, the germs can be treated then the person can resume his or duties. Although both Edward Chadwick and Louis Pasteur contributed significantly in the health of Britain, it is clear that their thoughts are from different perspectives. Edward Chadwick, in particular, argues from a sociological perspective where he believes that a healthy body depends on a healthy environment. The decomposing organic matter and the dense population, in his view, contribute to the diseases affecting the society. By removing such wastes, he believes the society and its people will contribute in controlling illness. On the other hand, Louis Pasteur argues from a biomedical perspective. He believes that an ailment is a temporally malfunction/medically sanctioned form of unusual behaviour (Germov and Hornosty). Louis believes that for such a person to get well or be excused from work, he or she needs to seek medical treatment. The other difference is that Edward Chadwick believes that the social class has a great influence on

Managment in Assisted Living Facility Research Paper

Managment in Assisted Living Facility - Research Paper Example 11)†¦.. TRANSITION PARAGRAPH Park University is conducting this research work related to management that includes such topics that help the organizations to improve their productivity in better way. BODY This research paper is related to management that covers lot of topics such as: (a) diversity management, (b) ethical, social and legal responsibilities, (c) international business†¦, (XXXXX & YYYY, 2009, p. 18). Diversity Management Now a day’s Diversity management is become an important issue for managers. Usually human resource managers initiate it and department heads and supervisors try to manage it. The idea of diversity management style is to encourage employees to feel free and comfortable their work places and develop an appreciation in particular areas such as race, gender, background, sexual orientation or any other factors that may not be shared by everyone working in the same area of the company. It can be adopted in different organizational environments and can be integrated with different management styles. For example if you are promoting recognition and acceptance of diversity among employees then hostile workplace environment can be converted into welcoming environment where people feel free to communicate, share and support to each other in any task associated with job. This thing definitely helps in increasing the productivity level in an organization. Now the question is what the benefit of diversity management program is. One of the main advantages of diversity management is that it helps to encourage the development of skills and talent among employees. Employees begin to feel valued and be ready to leave their comfort zones and enhance their skills for the benefit of departmental team and company as a whole. Basically what diversity do, it acknowledges and uses these inherent differences and move towards creativity and innovation for the better performances and competitive challenges. Diversity not only focuses on how pe ople perceive themselves but also how they perceive people. This thing effects their interaction. Successful organizations recognize the need for immediate action and are ready and willing to spend resources on managing diversity in the workplace now. There are some benefits of workplace diversity are: 1- Increased adaptability 2- Broader service range 3- Variety of viewpoints 4- More effective execution Some challenges are also mentioned here according to Josh Greenberg that are: 1-Communication 2-Resistance to change 3-Implementation of diversity in the workplace policies 4-Successful Management of Diversity in the Workplace 5-Assessment of diversity in the workplace (By Josh Greenberg is President of Alpha Measure, Inc. located in Boulder, Colorado. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/11053) Here i can quote the example of Graham School of General Studies at the University of Chicago who designed a program for implementing

Overthrow of Communism in Hungary and Czechoslovakia Essay

Overthrow of Communism in Hungary and Czechoslovakia - Essay Example In fact, Soviet Union was the invisible ruler in eastern European communist countries and the domestic administrations functioned as toy governments of Soviet Union. Hungary and Czechoslovakia are two eastern European countries which suffered a lot under the communist administration. People in these countries are highly religious and communist teachings were unacceptable to them. Moreover, the totalitarian administrative style of communism was unacceptable to the people in these countries. The destruction of communism in the Soviet Union brought a golden opportunity to people in these countries to expel communism from their territories. This paper analyses major reasons for the overthrow of communism in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The defeat of Hungary in the Second World War resulted in Soviet occupation in Hungary. Hungary never favored communism even though they forced to become a communist state under the influence of Soviet Union. Hungarians tried to expel communism from their s oil many times; however, the Soviet-controlled communist administration in Hungary succeeded in suppressing such agitations using an iron fist. The most important revolt against the communist administration happened in 1956. ... Â  The mascaras of Soviet troops during this revolt created immense displeasure against communism in the minds of Hungarians. In other words, the support for communism started to decrease after the bloody revolt in 1956. Even though Hungarians, disliked communism from the beginning itself, the case of Czechoslovakia was slightly different. Many of the Czechs welcomed Russians as liberators (Judit, p.125). The administration in Czechoslovakia before the arrival of Russians was not so good which forced Czechs to welcome Russians as their saviors. In fact, Czechoslovakia was the closest ally of Soviet Union in Eastern Europe after the Second World War. However, Czechs gradually realized the dangers of communism gradually. Hungary and Czechoslovakia were the biggest trading partners of Soviet Union after WW 2. However, it was Moscow which set the prices for the finished industrial products exported from these countries to Soviet Union (Judit, p.159). In other words, Moscow tried to expl oit the resources of Hungary and Czechoslovakia using their superior political, economic and military power. These exploitations resulted in underdevelopment in these countries and normal life became extremely difficult. While most of the other democratic countries in Europe started to develop immensely after WW2, communist Hungary and Czechoslovakia failed miserably in catching up with those countries. In short, the living standards of the people in Hungary and Czechoslovakia started to decline under the communist administration and the dissatisfaction against the communist administrations started to grow.

Human Heart Essay Example for Free

Human Heart Essay The human heart is by far one of the most vital organs of the body. It has a mass that ranges from 250 grams to 350 grams. Its contraction and expansion results in 2000 gallons of blood being pumped through the body’s blood vessels per day. It’s located in the middle of the chest protected by the ribcage. Its building blocks are a unique type of muscle known as the myocardium, and it’s enclosed by a double-walled membranous sac known as the pericardium. The double-walled membrane houses the pericardial fluid which cushions the heart preventing shock and nourishing it. It’s divided into four chambers and has a large network of arteries and veins. The chambers are known as the atrium and ventricles. A special kind of muscle called the septum divides the right cavity and the left cavity. Normally the expulsion of blood from one cavity would result in a subsequent amount of blood flowing into the adjacent cavity. The left ventricle is the strongest and largest chamber since its tasked with pumping blood to all parts of the body through the aorta. The right cavity of the heart which is composed of the right atria and right ventricle receives deoxygenated blood from all parts of the body and pumps this blood to the lungs for oxygenation (pulmonary circulation). The left cavity composed of the left atria and left ventricle receives the oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps this blood to all body parts through the aorta (systemic circulation). The heart has four valves that regulate the flow of blood through its chambers. Blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle is regulated by the tricuspid valve. The pulmonary valve regulates blood flowing into the pulmonary artery from the right ventricle. Oxygenated blood from the lungs passes through the mitral valve situated between the left atrium and left ventricle. The aortic valve regulates oxygenated blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta for delivery to the body. One of the greatest threats to the hearts proper functioning and subsequently to a person’s survival is a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when the heart is not able to pump blood effectively due to arteries clogging. Deposition of fatty cells in arteries will lead to their constriction inhibiting the flow of blood leading to a heart attack which is fatal in most cases.

The 1990s Ethnic Conflict in Former Yugoslavia

The 1990s Ethnic Conflict in Former Yugoslavia Wars, conflicts, reformations were most of the issues in the 19th century. The desire to seek for freedom, equality, and justice. In most of the wars and conflicts around the world in the 19th century was somehow based on religion, freedom, injustice, inequality and properties. The ethnic conflict in Yugoslavia was more complex than just internal conflict. It constitutes both internal and external factors. The ethnic groups in former Yugoslavia was a socialist state: Serbs, Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Albanians, Slovenes, and others under a comparatively related communist regime after the Germany occupation in Second World War and a resentful ethnic conflict. By looking at the ethnic groups, the causes and the consequences of the war in former Yugoslavia, this essay will discuss the ethnic groups, the internal, international and the nationalism causes of the war and the long term effect of the ethnic conflict. Firstly, the Yugoslavia war was an ethnical conflict fought between the 1991 to 2001 in the territory of former Yugoslavia. The ethnic groups in Yugoslavia are constitute by individual identity whose bonds to loyalty are grounded in shared identity, and that these national identities are, in turn, both organic and political[1]. These ethnic groups in Yugoslavia share the same ideology in social and political concept, sing, salute and cheers for the national teams but in the order hand, there are injustice, mistrust and inequality among the groups. The tolerance for the differences made coexistence possible, but it also perpetuated and crystallized differences. Social and political differentiation, even oppression, brought conflict and even lasting hatreds in their wake, and were liable to break out into open warfare. They broke out into class struggles (landlord-peasant conflict) or political struggles, in history contexts of imperial crisis and nation-state-building wars[2]. After t he end of World War 1 and the collapse of the Austria -Hungary, the ethnic groups in Yugoslavia came together as one state, Yugoslavia was founded in 1918. In 1929, Yugoslavia was formally named as the kingdom of Yugoslavia. In addition, even as the common similarities between the Yugoslav state, on the other hand, the differences-religious, cultural, even linguistic-were unique and it were too great for the creation of a single nation.[3] To date this unique differences does not exist any longer. The Yugoslavia conflict started in the name independence by Serbs in the 1802 with revolt and struggle to gain independent from the Ottoman Turks. After the death of Tito, many ethnic groups were seeking for their independence such as Slovenes and Croats, which was an act encourage by the Germany[4]. The denying of the nationality for both Serbs and Croats arises problem and also the Serbs consider the Muslims to be historical traitors, which also caused a heated fire in the Yugoslavia state. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ anti- Muslim prejudices were shared by Croat and Serbs alike; it was the more overtly chauvinistic nationalist movements among Serbsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[5]. After the revolt and protract struggle of Serbs in 1804 to regain their independence from the Ottoman Turks, Bosnia followed up for their independence which worsen the conflict in Yugoslavia. Most of the conflict was an internal affair concerning religions and ethnic groups. Nevertheless, Slovenes, Croat and other ethnic groups we re seeking power for themselves in Yugoslavia state, there was huge conflict and war between the ethnic groups such as Serbs and Ottoman Turk, Serbs and the Bosnia. Eight turbulent nations, forced by an iron hand to share the same for seventy years, finally demanded to separate from one another, which resulted in the breakdown into nation state.[6] The Serbs refused to grant other groups independent which resulted in another conflict of liberation. International bodies such as the United Nations, USA, and Canada worsened the situation by getting involved in the conflict. UN and these international communities deliberately destroy former Yugoslavia. The UN failed to control the violence and the war because of wrong analysis of the conflict, which resulted in a wrongful approach to the situation. The intervention of international countries filled it. Wilmer states, the influence of the Cold War leads USA and the Soviet Union constitutes a bipolar , the failure of the economy, politic crisis and the death of Tito in 1980 was also a part of the causes of Yugoslavia war[7]. The ignorance of NATO also worsened the situation; if NATO had intervened in the 1991 against the Yugoslav army, that could have reduced the war for which the western leaders not ready to risk the military power. Nationalism which was also causes the war in Yugoslavia. After the second World War, nationalism began to fail and disappearing. Serbs claimed, Muslims planned to turning into Islamic state, the complaint that Croatian identity and culture had been submerged by Serbian political, cultural, and linguistic hegemony with Yugoslavia and the misguided policies of the interwar regime, which were based on the misperception that Serbian had been unfairly privileged following the World War 1[8]. On the other hand, the Serbs were arrogant to grant the rest of the groups independence after they gain theirs from the Ottoman Turks. This is because they have the military power, they wanted to control the whole Yugoslavia. One of problematic aspects of war is the health of individual. The effect of the Yugoslavia war includes the health care issues for both the soldiers and civilians. The war caused several health diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and gastric ulcers due to stress that the people had. Croatia experienced a lot of these issues as well. Pregnant women were also in danger-not only as a factor of the war but also during prenatal development and giving birth. Complications during pregnancy and delivery increased due to the stress of the war, which reduces the population of Yugoslavia. Mortality was also an effect of the war. In addition, more people die and defect-related births reduced the pollution as well. The natural environment was destroyed by the art of the war which the future generation will suffer upon it. Industries was destroyed which also causes air and water pollution as well as the collapse of the economy. The forest landscape, and the soil were all destroyed by bombs and missiles. The ethnic conflict in former Yugoslavia was one of the historical and long term effect that occurred in the history of central Europe. The desire for people or groups to gain their freedom from others is of importance. The ethnic conflict in former Yugoslavia fought for freedom and equality from their oppressors. The hate speech, propagandas and the media from both the Serbians and the Croats also causes anger and fear of the public. The killing and rape from some of the paramilitary organizations, which led to the violations of international humanitarian law.[9] Religion identity such as the Orthodox, Catholic and the Muslims also fury the conflict in Yugoslavia. International community intervention in some ethnic conflict some time worsen the situation, just like the intervention of the USA, Canada and the UN deliberately burn Yugoslavia to the ground. This conflict was one of the deadliest in the history of Central Europe that has had a long term effect. To date, the break down o f the ethnic groups still exists. Even as the world moves to further civilization, these ethnic groups still have the cultural and religion differences among them. Bibliography Christopher Bennett, Yugoslavias Bloody Collapse : Causes, Course and Consequences. Washington Square, New York: New York University Press, 1995. Lenard J. Cohen and Jasna Dragovic-Soso, ed., State Collapse in South-Eastern Europe: New Perspectives on Yugoslavias Disintegration. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press, 2007. Josip Glaudic, The Hour of Europe: Western Powers and the Breakup of Yugoslavia. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2011. Dejan Jovic, Yugoslavia: A State that Withered Away. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 2009. Tim Judah, The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1997. Sonia Lucarelli, Europe and the Breakup of Yugoslavia: A Political Failure in Search of a Scholarly Explanation. Leiden: Brill, 2000. Viktor Meier, Yugoslavia: A History of its Demise. London and New York: Routledge, 1999. Sabrina P. Ramet, Balkan Babel: the Disintegration of Yugoslavia from the Death of Tito to the Fall of Milosevic. Boulder: Westview Press, 2002. (4th edition). Sabrina P. Ramet, Thinking about Yugoslavia: Scholarly Debates about the Yugoslav Breakup and the Wars in Bosnia and Kosovo. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Laura Silber and Allan Little, Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Wilmer Frank, the social construction of man, conflict and violence in Former Yugoslavia. New York: Routledge, 2002 Catherine Samary, Yugoslavia dismembered (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1995). [1] Wilmer Frank, the social construction of man, conflict and violence in Former Yugoslavia. New York: Routledge, 2002.8 [2] Catherine Samary, Yugoslavia dismembered (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1995).40 [3] Catherine Samary, Yugoslavia dismembered (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1995). 25 [4]Dejan Jovic, Yugoslavia, a state that withered away (West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2009), 1. [5] Franke Wilmer, The social construction of man, the state, and war: identity, conflict, and violence in former Yugoslavia (New York: Routledge, 2002), 184. [6] Catherine Samary, Yugoslavia dismembered (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1995), 26. [7] Franke Wilmer, The social construction of man, the state, and war: identity, conflict, and violence in former Yugoslavia (New York: Routledge, 2002), 173. [8] Franke Wilmer, The social construction of man, the state, and war: identity, conflict, and violence in former Yugoslavia (New York: Routledge, 2002), 184-5. [9] Franke Wilmer, The social construction of man, the state, and war: identity, conflict, and violence in former Yugoslavia (New York: Routledge, 2002), 193.

Technological Advances vs. Human Values in Slaughterhouse-Five and Waiting for Godot :: comparison compare contrast essays

Technological Advances vs. Human Values Technological advances occur all around, whizzing by, while human values change little and at a much slower pace. Commercially bottled water stands as just one of a sundry of items that human technology has conjured up over the years. It seems as though the average person can not go through a day without seeing a symbol of this phenomenon, whether it is a vending machine, an empty container lying in the gutter, or a person clutching a plastic bottle in their hand. Also an ever-present technological advance is the cellular phone, "can you here me now?" It is almost a guarantee that during the course of a class period, a ringtone or the buzzing of the vibrating mode will shake the air. Human nature exists right along side its technology. Kurt Vonnegut and Samuel Beckett use their writings to illustrate what needs to be a part of human existence besides human values and technology. For all of the newfangled contributions to the modernization of human civilization, the values that humans live by have not progressed quite as swiftly. Technological advances occur all around, whizzing by, wh ile human values change little and at a much slower pace. Billy Pilgrim, Kurt Vonnegut's main Slaughterhouse-Five character, rode through life on one of those moving sidewalk, conveyer belt contraptions. He did not make any special efforts to enhance his situation. If one were to cut and paste the novel so that the story of Billy Pilgrim's life went in chronological order, it would become apparent that he merely lived his life. The world still moved around him, war, fire-bombing, the progression of the television set, but Billy took a passive role in his own existence. Billy Pilgrim stays the same humdrum being his entire life. Vonnegut used the repetition of Billy's life and phrases such as "Somewhere a big dig barked" to exhibit how some things just do not change (168). He points out that the people in the novel "are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces" (164). Billy knows that he is going to die anyway, regardless of what he does or does not do, and he plainly wants to remain unscathed during his jour ney. Vonnegut used this publication as a vehicle to show that it is not enough to live a life to its end, the approach that Billy employed.

Police Use of Force Essay -- Law Enforcement

In certain situations, the police may have to act quickly on their instincts. Sometimes, a situation is unpredictable and a decision needs to be made in a split second. The quick decision may to be to take a person down physically with the officer’s own hands, or to use deadly force, unfortunately. Anything can happen and the officer needs to be ready for every scenario. The different levels of force can be anywhere from just a police officer being present, to having to kill someone to prevent him or her from hurting anyone else. It’s a harsh reality, but sometimes the officer needs to make the decision to die or to protect him and do what he needs to do. There are several circumstances in which the police may have to ultimately use force. In a situation with a crazy violent offender who is trying to harm the officer would be a matter of using force to contain the offender to make sure he or she doesn’t hurt him/herself, or anyone else for that matter. Sometimes, a verbal command does the trick. But unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. For instance, if a violent offender was caught in the act of committing a robbery and the police told him to freeze and to drop the weapon; he is bound to get force used against him if he does not comply. If the offender who is committing the robbery lunges at the officer with a weapon or gun, the officer may have to use deadly force against the offender to protect his or her own life on duty. Every day, law enforcement officers face danger while carrying out their responsibilities. When dealing with a dangerous or unpredictable situation, police officers usually have very little time to assess it and determine the proper response (U.S. Department of Justice). So, if an officer decides ... ...l is to use unarmed physical force or force using non lethal weapons. Police often use their own discretion in order to find the best way to go about solving a difficult situation (The Associated Press). They have to make haste decisions of how to get an offender under control or apprehended. Works Cited Forced to Shoot. Dir. A&E. 2001. Hearst Communications Inc. The Use of Force: Defining Force. 2008. 17 November 2009 . Mangan, David. Police Brutality: The Use of Excessive Force. New York, May 2006. Ramsey, Josh. Defensive Devices. 2007. 15 November 2009 . The Associated Press. Study Examines Police Use Of Deadly Force. 2009. 14 November 2009 . U.S. Department of Justice. Use of Force. 30 April 2008. 15 November 2009 .

The Most Important Element of Style :: Writing Style Styles Essays

The Most Important Element of Style I've collected numerous ideas from both Joseph William's book Style Toward Clarity and Grace and William Strunk and E.B. White's The Elements of Style. These books serve as reference guides to writers seeking guidance in improving their writing skills. I feel the text format of any writing is the most important element of style. The text layout in regards to style deals with font, size and contrast. The font makes the text. You are able to change the font to show importance or the use quotes. An example would be "bolding" an example. A normal font such as Times Roman can be used to for the body. However, a font such as Arial Black allows the text to stand out. Changes in size also have the same effect. These adjustments in the format of the text also creates a contrast in the writing. This allows the reader to easily identify the important points. I feel Strunk and White choose a design that is easy to read and sticks directly to the point. The reader is able to locate the issue and find the solution and an example to problem. The style issue is listed by number and bolded to stand out. An example of the same correct style issue is given in different versions. This allows the reader to apply such style to their own writings. These different topics are stated in bold to be easily read. T he guide gives the reader good examples to assist in their writings. This is important because the reader is searching for something particular and seeking a particular resolution. Providing an easy to read guide is extremely helpful. A guide that is easy to navigate decreases the stress often associated with writing. The ability to find things easy is always helpful. The layout in Williams’ text is not easy to read. The paragraphs often seem connected. The effect of text format to prefered reading is evident in this guide. Several of my classmates agreed that this guide was not as easily accessible as Strunk & White. These feelings were solely based upon the format of the text.

Legislation, Regulatory Requirements and Codes of Conduct

Legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of conduct There are many codes of practice, legislation and regulation which a teacher must be aware of and adhere to. Whilst many are generic to the teaching profession there are also others, which are specific to the subject matter being taught. The Data Protection Act (2003); The Children Act (2004); Equality Act (2010); Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006); Education and skills Act (2008) and Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) are examples of generic laws which have over the years been amended to reflect current practice.The Data Protection Act (1998 amended 2003) provides the legal framework on how and when personal information should be obtained, processed and shared. The amendment covered the use of electronic data. This law is particularly relevant to my subject area of Marketing as data collection forms one of the richest forms of customer insight. However, marketers must ensure a customer knows they are collecting their data and that it is only used legitimately and within a reasonable timeframe.The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) was introduced to provide a vetting and barring mechanism to ensure anyone working with children of young adults is properly checked. Anyone looking to work with these groups should expect to the checked by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) defines the obligations of an employer to ensure that all employees are not put at risk during their work and that all employees should oblige with the Health and Safety regulations imposed by the Employees.Risk assessments should be carried our where necessary. As a teacher it is important to ensure the you are registered with the Institute for Learning (IFL) and adhere to their 8 desired behaviours which ensure that you treat the profession as well as learners with respect at all times and maintain your expertise knowledge in your subject matter through CPD and in line with the curri culum as outlined by the governing award

Moral Courage Essay

Moral courage is a concept means doing the right thing, it means listening to conscience that what does it saying. Standing on what believe. Moral courage has three major elements witch are principle, endurance and danger. it means moral courage and doing right things make us in the risk, we may face fear and danger for example with losing o job and security, reputation or etc. But falling in the risk is not matter because we follow our conscience and it is important because I believe that conscience is based on values and show us the way to be human. Moral courage is standing up for values such as honesty, fairness, compassion, respect and responsibility but just having these values are not enough we have to try to put them into practice and we have to commitment to moral principles as well, so in the practice we may face with danger and we have to confidence to endure hardship, suffer and sacrifice. In this sense we can see moral courage in action. According to Kennedy (1956) moral courage is â€Å"the Basis of All Human Morality.† he mentioned that Courageous men do as they do because they love themselves, they respect themselves and their reputation for integrity and their personal standard of their ethics all are more important than their popularity with others or desire to maintain their offices. For having these all values they have to fall in the risk as it done with senator George Norris, with Nelson Mandela and Malala Youssafzai, that all of them stood on what they believed and what they knew that is right. They struggled for higher purpose and having greater values such as human rights and for justice and they found these straggle as their duty to fulfill their obligation. So as consequence we saw that all of them faced with challenges and danger and they endured hardship situation but they could to have significant acheivement. for World War 1 that was started in 1914, US government declared that they would remain neutral but in reality it was not like this and US supported England by carrying guns through Armed Merchant ships and was against German so after German submarines sank three American Merchant Ships in 1917, president Wilson declared for entering into WW1 and asked for congressional approval. Senator Norris was opposing of US entre into World Ward 1 so he filibustered the Armed merchant Ship bill and he faced with very hardship situation and condemned by American press but he didn’t gave up and he believed on the rightness of his course, he was not care about holding his office he just listened to his conscience and tried to say truth to people. So finally he did and informed people about the reality that is behind of this policy he said that these ships used for carrying war supplier to England and country try to enter in the war because of financial benefits of a certain groups of people. Senator Norris did a moral courage action because he said the truth to the people he knew about the terrible result of involving in the WW1 and he believed that war brings no prosperity to great mass of people so his consciences made him to make judgment although his political career was under risk but he pursued justice. Regarding Nelson Mandela, I have to say that he struggled against apartheid and racial discrimination and inequality. Many movements and protests were raised with his leadership against Apartheid and he also joint to Afghan National Congress and tried to provide equality for the black people and give them their rights but he understood that these kind of nonviolent protests or movements do not work in the society that is commanded by group of people who doesn’t follow their conscience so he decided to involve in sabotage and planned for armed struggle. When he arrested by state, he and his fellows didn’t deny his involvement in sabotage and armed struggle he said the truth and he indicted state for discrimination, for inequality, for abuse of black people’s right and freedom. He said that state should feel guilty. Mandela wanted a light future for black people and the basic rights which were neglected by state. He wanted a society that all people can live together in a peace and harmony. In the court he spoke up with integrity and truth as a result he could bring prosperity for black people. He suffered and endured 27 years of his life in prison for his vision and when he was elected as a president, he focused on fostering racial reconciliation and forgiving his oppressors in Apartheid regime. Above all show his moral courage struggle and even after he came to power as president. Malala Youssafzai also was another example who stood on women right for education as it was banded by Talban regime. First she understood that it is her right to continue her education and wanted this right for other girls as well so she tried to speak up and stand on her right. She followed and listed to her conscience and believed that this is right. She had many speeches to explain and inform others that what is happening under Taliban regime and as a result she shot by Taliban and had very hardship situation but after recovery she didn’t give up and straggled for women’s right until she could influence on girl’s accessibility to education in Pakistan.

Apple Is Expanding Its Distribution Channels

Apple is Expanding its Distribution Channels Cliff Edwards of Business Week harped on conflicts with existing retailers such as CompUSA and Sears, quoting CompUSA’s Lawrence N. Mondry, who declared, â€Å"When you choose to compete with your retailers, clearly that’s not a comfortable situation. † Mondry could have been describing the experience Mac buyers had when they stepped into most CompUSA stores. It was even worse at Sears. Realizing that they were being held over a barrel by big retailers that were used to calling the shots with computer OEMs and frequently provided a horrible purchasing environment for Apple products, the company did what it had to and took control of distribution. Apple retail stores would give the company the opportunity to â€Å"leapfrog† past dependence on other retailers. Daniel T. Niles of Lehman Brothers also saw the possibilities, telling MacWorld, â€Å"Apple has the ability to start attracting new customers with the launch of their higher-end retail store strategy. You can’t mention the surge in Mac sales without touching on the â€Å"Halo Effect† of the iPod. Apple made the iTunes/iPod combination available for Windows users. That move created several new distribution opportunities for Apple. First, it gave Windows users the opportunity to try Apple products without having to take the frightening plunge into the world of Macintosh. Apple finally had ac cess to a vast pool of Windows users it had previously been unable to touch. Second, it opened up a secondary market for iPod accessories and tie-ins. Had the iPod only been available for Macintosh users, a secondary market would have developed, but it would have been much, much smaller. Apple would never have been able to strike deals with auto manufacturers, for example. The connector on the bottom of every iPod (except the shuffle) became the point of entry to an incredible array of third-party products, and as that market grew, the iPod rapidly became the de facto standard portable multimedia device. Third, it gave the iTunes Store a tremendous head start. While a digital music store is handy in itself, none of the previously-existing stores had made much of a dent in consumer behavior. They didn’t operate particularly well with Windows-based MP3 players, and they didn’t offer broad enough music libraries. Apple struck deals with all the major labels and created a store that provided an easy, addictingly-convenient interface and seamless integration with the iPod. As the universe of purchased iPods grew, so did the market for the iTunes Store. The integration of iPod and iTunes also created a gestalt effect as Apple moved beyond music. Just as the Apple retail stores bypassed middlemen, the iTunes/iPod combination created a direct link between Apple and its customers. As Apple adds more capabilities to the iTunes Store, and does the same with the iPod, the two should continue to energize each other, provided Apple rolls out the right kinds of features. In 2001 Apple Computer has been taken a decision to open a series of retail stores that would display their entire line of Apple computer products, software and peripherals. Part of the decision, Apple's declining share of the computer market. Now the company has opened over 130 stores, including in Japan, Canada and the UK. It's latest annual report states that they will continue capital expenditures for retail operations, indicating that they have a long-term strategy for opening more stores. Apple Computer Store Products Hardware: It includes, iMac, Mac Mini, iBook, Mac Book, Mac Book Pro, iPod, Apple Cinema Displays, Airport Cards, iSight, Apple accessories etc. These are purchased from the Apple Store Online or by the phone. Apple Software: It includes iLife, iWork application bundles, Mac OS X, DVD Studio Pro, FinalCut Pro, and other miscellaneous Apple software titles. Third Party Software: It is made for Mac OS X, such as productivity software, design software, utilities, games much everything new that has been released for Mac OS X. Select Third Party Accessories: In this Apple ranges starts from Apple notebooks and iPod sleeves to speakers, printers, scanners, memory upgrades, and digital cameras. In Apple Store there are two types, those are: Retail store Online store The Apple Store, Regent Street, London, UK, is part of a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. , dealing in computers and consumer electronics. As of April 2008, Apple has opened 209 stores, including 181 in 37 US states, 15 in the UK (14 in England, 1 in Scotland), seven in Japan, and 4 in Canada. Recently, Apple opened its first store in continental Europe, in Rome in Italy. In 2008, Apple will be opening 3 Australian stores, 1 located in Melbourne and 2 in Sydney. This store is the first Apple Store in Europe. It opened in autumn 2004 Will Apple's stainless steel architecture have to take a background to the historic buildings of other countries? In Japan, Apple uses English almost exclusively. But other countries may not embrace English, preferring to see their own language used in store signage. Apple will have to balance the cost of constructing a store, recruiting a suitable staff, and operating the store against the potential revenues, which in turns depends upon the registered Macintosh community, median income, currency trends and general retailing environment–just like at home! Apple’s centralized and extremely consumer oriented approach to mobile software distribution is revolutionary My argument is that it’s revolutionary in the same way the iPod and iTunes were revolutionary. Basically, the formula is similar to why Apple succeeded w/ the iPod and iTunes despite competition from manufacturers like Sony, ancient models for music distribution, and technology inept publishers Apple’s Solution: take the carriers out of the picture and give the developers a low cost or zero cost distribution channel Jobs began Apple's turnaround with the 2001 introduction of the iPod, which defined and then dominated the portable-music-player market—and which became central to the resuscitation of Apple's computer line. The Mac, once derided as a toy, today is the best personal computer on the planet, period. And the iPhone is the best smart phone. Nothing else comes close. As of the third quarter of 2008, Apple's iPhone was outselling the Research in MotionBlackBerry, even though the iPhone had been in the market for only 15 months. When measured by revenues, Apple has become the world's third-largest mobile-phone maker, behind Nokia and Samsung. All this is happening just as mobile devices are poised to become the most important computing platform. same or similar products. Strategic management, horizontal integration is a theory of ownership and control. It is a strategy used by a business or corporation that seeks to sell one type of product in numerous markets. To get this market coverage, several small subsidiary companies are created. Each markets the product to a different market segment or to a different geographical area. This is sometimes referred to as the horizontal integration of marketing. The horizontal integration of production is where a firm has plants in several locations producing similar products. Apple is leader on the MP3 player market. Dynamic approach: history of a firm can explain its leader position. In my example, Apple innovates with its couple iPod+iTunes and keeps the leadership since Some points of its strategy are astonishing because they look similar as Apple strategy for PC. Apple doesn't want to licence its own DRM, so if you want buy a song on internet for your iPod you have to go to the iTunesMuciStore and to listen this song directly on a MP3 player you must have an iPod (some consumers lodge a complaint against Apple). So, Apple does the same thing for its MP3 player than the computers about twenty years ago. Short term Apple wins but the market increases and we can't know how this leadership will progress and if Apple would change its strategy. The theory of games can help us to understand this choice and the risks. Installed firms are Stackelberg leader on the market, the potential entrance adapt its quantity. (Bain, J. (1968) Apple Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries design, manufacture, and market personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices, and sell various related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells various third-party Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores, and digital content through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative customers. As of December 27, 2008, it had 251 retail stores. Apple Inc. , formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc. , was founded in 1976. The company is headquartered in Cupertino, California Company Background Apple Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively â€Å"Apple† or the â€Å"Company†) design, manufacture, and market personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices and sell a variety f related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Macintosh ® (â€Å"Mac†), iPod ® and iPhoneâ„ ¢ compatible products, including application software, pri nters, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores, and digital content through the iTunes Store ®. The Company sells to consumer, small and mid-sized business (â€Å"SMB†), education, enterprise, government, and creative customers. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52 or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. Unless otherwise stated, all information presented in this Form 10-K is based on the Company’s fiscal calendar. Business Strategy The Company is committed to bringing the best personal computing, portable digital music and mobile communication experience to consumers, students, educators, businesses, and government agencies through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, services, and Internet offerings. The Company’s business strategy leverages its unique ability to design and develop its own operating system, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior ease-of-use, seamless integration, and innovative industrial design. The Company believes continual investment in research and development is critical to the development and enhancement of innovative products and technologies. In addition to evolving its personal computers and related solutions, the Company continues to capitalize on the convergence of the personal computer, digital consumer electronics and mobile communications by creating and refining innovations, such as the iPod, iPhone, iTunes Store, and Apple TV ®. The Company desires to support a community for the development of third-party products that complement the Company’s offerings through its developer programs. The Company offers various third-party software applications and hardware accessories for Mac ® computers, iPods and iPhones through its retail and online stores, as well as software applications for the iPhone platform through its iTunes ® App Store. The Company’s strategy also includes expanding its distribution network to effectively reach more of its targeted customers and provide them with a high-quality sales and post-sales support experience. Consumer and Small and Mid-Sized Business The Company believes a high-quality buying experience with knowledgeable salespersons who can convey the value of the Company’s products and services greatly enhances its ability to attract and retain customers. The Company sells many of its products and resells certain third-party products in most of its major markets directly to consumers and businesses through its retail and online stores. The Company has also invested in programs to enhance reseller sales, including the Apple Sales Consultant Program, which places Apple employees and contractors at selected third-party reseller locations. The Company believes providing direct contact with its targeted customers is an efficient way to demonstrate the advantages of its Mac computers and other products over those of its competitors. At the end of fiscal 2008, the Company had opened a total of 247 retail stores, including 205 stores in the U. S. and a total of 42 stores internationally. The Company has typically located its stores at high-traffic locations in quality shopping malls and urban shopping districts. A goal of the Company’s retail business is to expand its installed base through sales to customers who currently do not already own the Company’s products. By operating its own stores and locating them in desirable high-traffic locations, the Company is better positioned to control the customer buying experience and attract new customers. The stores are designed to simplify and enhance the presentation and marketing of the Company’s products and related solutions. To that end, retail store configurations have evolved into various sizes in order to accommodate market-specific demands. The stores employ experienced and knowledgeable personnel who provide product advice, service, and training. The stores offer a wide selection of third-party hardware, software, and various other accessory products and peripherals selected to complement the Company’s own products. Business Organization The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. The Company’s reportable operating segments consist of the Americas, Europe, Japan, and Retail. The Americas, Europe, and Japan reportable segments do not include activities related to the Retail segment. The Americas segment includes both North and South America. The Europe segment includes European countries as well as the Middle East and Africa. The Retail segment operates Apple-owned retail stores in the U. S. and in international markets. Each reportable geographic operating segment and the Retail operating segment provide similar hardware and software products and similar services. Further information regarding the Company’s operating segments may be found in Part II, The Company has signed multi-year agreements with various cellular network carriers authorizing them to distribute and provide cellular network services for iPhone 3G in over 70 countries. These agreements are generally not exclusive with a specific carrier, except in the U. S. , U. K. , France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and certain other countries. The Company expects to ship iPhone 3G in over 70 countries by the end of calendar year 2008. Markets and Distribution The Company’s customers are primarily in the consumer, SMB, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. The Company distributes its products through wholesalers, resellers, national and regional retailers, and cataloguers. No individual customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2008, 2007, or 2006. The Company also sells many of its products and resells certain third-party products in most of its major markets directly to customers through its own sales force and retail and online stores. Significant portions of the Company’s Mac computers, iPods, iPhones, logic boards, and other assembled products are manufactured by outsourcing partners, primarily in various parts of Asia. A significant concentration of this outsourced manufacturing is currently performed by only a few of the Company’s outsourcing partners, often in single locations. Certain of these outsourcing partners are the sole-sourced suppliers of components and manufacturing outsourcing for many of the Company’s key products, including but not limited to final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s portable Mac computers, iPods, iPhones and most of the Company’s iMacs. Although the Company works closely with its outsourcing partners on manufacturing schedules, the Company’s operating results could be adversely affected if its outsourcing partners were unable to meet their production commitments. The Company’s purchase commitments typically cover its requirements for periods ranging from 30 to 150 days. Foreign and Domestic Operations and Geographic Data The U. S. represents the Company’s largest geographic marketplace. Approximately 57% of the Company’s net sales in 2008 came from sales to customers inside the U. S. Final assembly of the Company’s products is currently performed in the Company’s manufacturing facility in Ireland, and by external vendors in California, the Republic of Korea (â€Å"Korea†), the People’s Republic of China (â€Å"China†) and the Czech Republic. Currently, the supply and manufacture of many critical components is performed by sole-sourced third-party vendors in the U. S. , China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. Sole-sourced third-party vendors in China perform final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s portable products, including MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, iPods, iPhone, and most of the Company’s iMacs. Margins on sales of the Company’s products in foreign countries, and on sales of products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers, can be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and by international trade regulations, including tariffs and antidumping penalties. The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions Global markets for personal computers, digital music devices, mobile communication devices, and related peripherals and services are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change. If the Company is unable to compete effectively in these markets, its financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. The Company competes in global markets that are highly competitive and characterized by aggressive price cutting, with its resulting downward pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in product price/performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological and product advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers. The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on its ability to ensure a continuing and timely introduction of new innovative products and technologies to the marketplace. The Company believes it is unique in that it designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its personal computers, consumer electronics, and mobile communication devices, including the hardware, operating system, several software applications, and related services. As a result, the Company must make significant investments in research and development and as such, the Company currently holds a significant number of patents and copyrights and has registered and/or has applied to register numerous patents, trademarks and service marks. By contrast, many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very low cost structures. If the Company is unable to continue to develop and sell innovative new products with attractive margins or if other companies To remain competitive and stimulate customer demand, the Company must successfully manage frequent product introductions and transitions. Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries, the Company must continually introduce new products and technologies, enhance existing products, and effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products. The success of new product introductions depends on a number of factors, including timely and successful product development, market acceptance, the Company’s ability to manage the risks associated with new products and production ramp issues, the availability of application software for new products, the effective management of purchase commitments and inventory levels in line with anticipated product demand, the availability of products in appropriate quantities and costs to meet anticipated demand, and the risk that new products may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction. Accordingly, the Company cannot determine in advance the ultimate effect of new product introductions and transitions on its financial condition and operating results. The Company’s success depends largely on its ability to attract and retain key personnel. Much of the Company’s future success depends on the continued service and availability of skilled personnel, including its CEO, its executive team and key employees in technical, marketing and staff positions. Experienced personnel in the technology industry are in high demand and competition for their talents is intense, especially in the Silicon Valley, where most of the Company’s key employees are located. The Company has relied on equity awards as one means for recruiting and retaining this highly skilled talent. Accounting regulations requiring the expensing of stock options have resulted in increased stock-based compensation expense, which has caused the Company to reduce the number of stock-based awards issued to employees and could negatively impact the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel. Additionally, significant adverse volatility in the Company’s stock price could result in a stock option’s exercise price exceeding the underlying stock’s market value or a significant deterioration in the value of restricted stock units (â€Å"RSUs†) granted, thus lessening the The Company’s business is subject to the risks of international operations. The Company derives a large and growing portion of its revenue and earnings from its international operations. As a result, its financial condition and operating results could be significantly affected by risks associated with international activities, including economic and labor conditions, political instability, tax laws (including U. S. taxes on foreign subsidiaries), and changes in the value of the U. S. dollar versus local currencies. Margins on sales of the Company’s products in foreign countries, and on sales of products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers, could be materially adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and by international trade regulations, including tariffs and antidumping penalties. The Company’s primary exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates relate to non-U. S. dollar denominated sales in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and certain parts of Asia, as well as non-U. S. dollar denominated operating expenses incurred throughout the world. Weakening of foreign currencies relative to the U. S. dollar will adversely affect the U. S. dollar value of the Company’s foreign currency-denominated sales and earnings, and generally will lead the Company to raise international pricing, potentially reducing demand for the Company’s products. In some circumstances, due to competition or other reasons, the Company may decide not to raise local prices to the full extent of the dollar’s strengthening, or at all, which would adversely affect the U. S. dollar value of the Company’s foreign currency denominated sales and earnings. Conversely, a strengthening of foreign currencies, while generally beneficial to the Company’s foreign currency-denominated sales and earnings, could cause the Company to reduce international pricing, thereby limiting the benefit. As strengthening of foreign currencies may also increase the Company’s cost of product components denominated in those currencies. The Company has used derivative instruments, such as foreign exchange forward and option positions, to hedge certain exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The use of such hedging activities may not offset any or more than a portion of the adverse financial effects of unfavorable movements in foreign exchange rates over the limited time the hedges are in place. The Company’s retail business has required and will continue to require a substantial investment and commitment of resources and is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Through September 27, 2008, the Company had opened 247 retail stores. The Company’s retail stores have required substantial fixed investment in equipment and leasehold improvements, information systems, inventory, and personnel. The Company also has entered into substantial operating lease commitments for retail space with terms ranging from 5 to 20 years, the majority of which are for 10 years. Certain stores have been designed and built to serve as high-profile venues to promote brand awareness and serve as vehicles for corporate sales and marketing activities. Because of their unique design elements, locations and size, these stores require substantially more investment than the Company’s more typical retail stores. Due to the high fixed cost structure associated with the Retail segment, a decline in sales or the closure or poor performance of individual or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs of equipment and leasehold improvements, and severance costs that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results. The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. The Company has a manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland. As of September 27, 2008, the Company leased approximately 4. 2 million square feet of space, primarily in the U. S. and to a lesser extent, in Europe, Japan, Canada, and the Asia Pacific region. The major facility leases are generally for terms of 3 to 20 years and generally provide renewal options for terms of 1 to 5 additional years. Leased space includes approximately 1. 8 million square feet of retail space, a majority of which is in the U. S. Lease terms for reta il space range from 5 to 20 years, the majority of which are for 10 years, and often contain multi-year renewal options. As of September 27, 2008, the Company owned a 367,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland that also housed a customer support call center. The Company also owned 805,000 square feet of facilities in Sacramento, California that include warehousing and distribution operations, as well as a customer support call center. In addition, the Company owned approximately 2. 3 million square feet of facilities for research and development and corporate functions in Cupertino, California, including approximately 1. 0 million square feet purchased in 2007 and 2006 for the future development of the Company’s second corporate campus in Cupertino, California, and approximately 107,000 square feet for a data center in Newark, California. Outside the U. S. , the Company owned additional facilities totaling approximately 129,000 square feet as of September 27, 2008. The Company believes its existing facilities and equipment are well maintained and in good operating condition. The Company has invested in internal capacity and strategic relationships with outside manufacturing vendors, and therefore believes it has adequate manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future. The Company continues to make investments in capital equipment as needed to meet anticipated demand for its products. Globalization, Technology, and E-business are all major factors influencing today's business world. They influence many of our business related decisions on a daily basis. Some of these decisions could be deciding to use a computer to order a new desk from Singapore or using your cell phone to make a conference call in India. Even Apple's management functions are not immune to these critical factors. Apple began selling personal computers produced in the garage of one of the founders in 1976. They were incorporated in 1977. Apple's first important product, the Apple II, personal computer was released in 1977 and by 1982 sales had increased to over $750 million. (Kimmel, 1998). It was clear that globalization played a big part in this success. Globalization is becoming a must have for large organizations to excel above their competition. With that being said globalization has been influential to Apple's revenue. According to Apple, their â€Å"international sales accounted for 43 percent of the quarter's revenue† (Dowling, 2005), this is continuing to rise. The rise in revenue is a result of excellent management and planning. Because of the need to go international, Apple created a strategic plan to go forward in the direction of globalization. This type of globalization will involve countries with different needs and different markets. For instance, planning a marketing scheme must involve the different variables that apply for each market. When planning globally, company structure must be taken into consideration. With that being said organization and control go hand in hand Steve Jobs came back once again as the CEO of Apple in 1997. This time he had a new game plan, and Apple started to focus on the digital lifestyle of consumers. This proved to be Apple’s most successful business strategy to date because a once ineffective company now had ruled the computer world. In 2005, Apple announced that it would start using Intel-based chips to run Macintosh computers. In April 2006, Apple announced Boot Camp, which allows users of Intel-based Macs to boot either Mac or Windows OS. This functionality allows users who may need both OSs to own just one machine to run both, albeit not simultaneously

American Stereotypes of China

US writer Todd C. Ames concludes his two-part discussion of the ways in which Chinese and Americans think of each other, and the most common misunderstandings that arise AMERICANS don't know much about China. What they do know comes from three main sources: movies, the news, and history classes. This can be a sensitive subject, and I do not wish to offend anyone – my goal is only to give you an overview of American stereotypes of China. Just as I have encountered many stereotypes that the Chinese have of America (some accurate, some absurd, some insulting), one can similarly encounter American stereotypes of China in the US. All Chinese know kungfu and dress like Huang Feihong. (Source: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Bruce Lee [Li Xiaolong] movies). – Anything to do with China is â€Å"ancient† and â€Å"mysterious. † (Source: the fact that Chinese language seems to be made up of â€Å"mysterious symbols† to Western eyes, movies about Chinese history). All Chinese are â€Å"brainwashed† into worshipping Chairman Mao and can't think independently. (Source: studying the Cultural Revolution in high school history classes. ) – â€Å"Guangdonghua† (Cantonese) is the official language of China. Source: Hong Kong movies, Chinese-American immigrants who came to the US from Guangdong and Hong Kong during the 19th and 20th centuries). – Chinese culture is basically the same today as it was 1,000 years ago (eg, â€Å"traditional, conservative, polite,† etc. ). (Source: studying Chinese history without being familiar with modern China). – In China, no one can express any idea that isn't approved by Chairman Mao – if you do express an â€Å"unapproved† idea, you will be instantly sent to jail or shot. (Source: studying the â€Å"cultural revolution† (1966-76)in high school history classes, the events of 1989 in Beijing). Chinese (and all â€Å"Asians†) are good at maths. (Sou rce: I don't know). – China and Japan are basically the same. (Source: ignorance). – â€Å"Asian† women are generally subservient to men, anti-feminist, and more â€Å"morally pure† than Western women. (Source: movies about ancient Japan, cultural differences. This stereotype is again the result of ignorance of modern China – and thinking that today's China is really 12th-century ancient Japan). Chinese stereotypes of US As an American, I can give you a unique perspective on the Chinese stereotypes of the US that I have encountered. Some of them really made me laugh – as I'm sure some of the above American stereotypes of China made you laugh. – Americans don't care about their families very much. The opposite is true. Almost every American will tell you that family is the most important thing in life. – Most Americans have AIDS and have sex in the streets. I'm still laughing at this one. One of my friends told me that she thought this was true before coming to the US. – Mixed ethnic background = intelligence. The more mixed your ethnic background, the smarter you must be. This kind of thinking is truly confusing and shocking to most Americans. Many Americans would even consider this kind of thinking â€Å"racist,† as some sort of inversion of Hitler's â€Å"race purity† theories. In any case, I was really surprised to hear this from virtually every Chinese I know. Almost all Americans have a diverse and mixed ethnic background – so we must all be geniuses. – All American men are â€Å"se lang (lecher). † (Source: cultural differences. ) – The crime rate is so high in the US that your life is always in danger. This is a vast exaggeration. The US has the most socially liberal society in the world, especially when it comes to sex. This idea comes from Hollywood – and it couldn't be more false. The US in general (especially the Midwest) is very socially conservative. Virtually every European country has a much more â€Å"liberal† and â€Å"open† view of sex and social relations in general comp ared to the US. In my opinion, the US is closer to China in this respect than to European countries. You probably don't believe me, but if you get to know some Americans, you will see that it is true. As far as social relations and sex go, I would put Japan and Europe in one category. And I would put China and the US in one category. – All â€Å"Western† countries are basically the same. This stereotype is the mirror of the American stereotype that all â€Å"Eastern† countries (China, Japan, Korea, etc. ) are basically the same. Both stereotypes are completely false and are purely based on the perception that â€Å"all foreigners look alike. † – Most American college students don't study, party all of the time, and are ignorant of the outside world. This stereotype is pretty accurate. – Every American owns a gun. Roughly 25 per cent of American adults own a gun, which is extremely high compared to most other countries. But still, the vast majority of Americans do not own guns. Food In general, Americans love Chinese food. Chinese and Italian food are probably the two most popular types of food in the US. However, most of the Chinese food you will find in US restaurants is â€Å"Americanized. † You probably won't find things like stomach or intestines on the menu. Also, pork is not so popular in the US. Beef and chicken are much more popular in the US than pork. So don't be surprised if many Americans you meet don't like pork. One â€Å"food stereotype† that I have encountered among Chinese (and everyone else outside the US) is that all Americans eat McDonald's. I don't have any friends who like McDonald's. I hate it. Everyone I know hates it. I think McDonald's is probably more popular in other countries than it is here in the US. Of course, it is popular to some degree; but it tends to be more popular among certain segments of society than others.