How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom Essay

In the book â€Å" The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom† by Yochai Benkler, he discussed the diversity of network and its impact to different aspects of society. Benklers discussed that technology is a big part of the development that had occurred. Technology is a tool used to a more effective communication. Media today uses these technologies to provide assurance that the message is delivered to the people. Internet has become a fast growing form of information source and communication tool. With this expansion comes its effect of distributing the main structure of producing and allocating information, culture and knowledge. Information is just a click away. This became a common source of reference whenever one wants to know something. This is said to be an open source to the public. In the process of acquiring this information, the most of the intelligence and effort shared by the author has the potential of being reused due to exposure. The complex network enables to diffuse the core information and be used by other as their own. Because of these economic characteristics, the mass-media model of information and cultural production and transmission became the dominant form of public communication in the twentieth century. Equally important is the example of the news media: fair use is healthy and vigorous in daily broadcast television, where references to popular films, classic TV programs, archival images, and popular songs are constant and routinely unlicensed. Internet is now on its constant development and through this communication is possible no matter how distant it is. The property right at issue is almost entirely a matter of respecting the authorship of the original work with the use of open source code, no less than with scholarly work. This sense of propriety, however, operates with a rigor in scholarship that exceeds the bounds of copyright law. Copyright only protects the author’s expression and wording of an idea from being used by another beyond the realm of fair use. By means of this, the author’s original idea can be protected and assured that his name will be credited when his work was used. The other issue that Benkler stated that the Media is also an open source where there is a distribution of new knowledge which we may apply to our culture and social traits as individuals. These have little impacts in small daily activities as we cannot notice, which at some point we may see that we had changed eventually. Some values that had been perceived are caused by these emerging networks. Since this had also been an environment to us and we need to adapt to these changes. Cultural production in the form of the networked information economy offers individuals a greater participatory role in making the culture they occupy and makes the culture more transparent to its inhabitants. On my understanding, it is true that advancement in these aspects is also giving development on human meaning and communication. Wide network can provide the potential for better human welfare and development and freedom. Human perception is perceived and improved constantly. We can also observe that most of us rely on computers. We can practice skills and acquire additional knowledge through this wide scope of information that is open to the public. Whether how small the task is, it still contributes to one’s personal enhancement through technological experience. This provides us a more complex human development. Another optimism of Benkler which I agree is that because of enhanced technology and wide network of information, we practice and shape the freedom in the society. This has impact on the modern liberal society. Changes in the technological, economic, and social affordances of the networked information environment affect a series of core commitments of a wide range of liberal democracies. Benklers’ optimism towards these changes is in accord to my opinion. Accessibility of media is not a problem anymore. Proliferation of networks has provided the industry, culture and social contributions to the changing society. Because of technological advancement and network expansion, our jobs became easier and more efficient. Also, with the new invented tools and equipment, we can do things we only imagine that would be possible. But with this progress comes with the disadvantages of the complex network that is still extending. One is the exposure of information where it can be abused by the users. They can use them and not acknowledge the author. In this issue, the end user takes the credit of the idea which is not his. This common crime happens commonly on the use of the internet. References: Benkler,Yochai. The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom. (2005) Documentary Filmmakers Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use. (2005). www. centerforsocialmedia. org/fairuse. htm Willinsky, John. The Unacknowledged Convergence Of Open Source, Open Access, and Open Science. First Monday. (July 2005) www. firstmonday. org/issues/issue10_8/willinsky/

Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche

Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche Introduction There are different ways in which a company can stimulate growth either internally or internally. External growth as defined by Block, Hirst and Danielson is the growth of firms through amalgamation, mergers or takeovers/acquisitions. The authors define a merger as being ‘the agreed amalgamation between two firms.’ There are different types of mergers namely vertical, horizontal and conglomerate merger (Block et al, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More History of the relationships of the two companies leading up to the final merger in 2009 Volkswagen and Porsche are two firms that are well recognized and established in the automotive industry. Based in Germany, both companies were founded by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s and have remained in the Porsche and Piech families to date. There has been contention an d rivalry, some fuelled by family differences between the two firms; in 2005, Porsche, the smaller of the two companies, began a takeover bid that included buying Volkswagen stock. This plan might have worked had Porsche not fallen into financial constraint (Anon, 2009). Volkswagen had to step in with a merger proposal which Porsche fought off fiercely but finally had to give in to because it would mean an infusion of much needed cash into the latter firm’s fried up coffers. The merger between the two companies, which hit a couple of snags, was finally ironed out in late 2009 (Kingsbury Dauer, 2009). A brief description of the firms Volkswagen and Porsche and the automobile industry The automotive industry is feeling the pinch of the global economic recession. The two auto makers are not the only companies to go the way of the merger. There are other acquisitions that have taken place recently and by all appearances it looks like there are many more on the way. Fiat, the Ita lian car making firm, has plans to acquire Chrysler as well as Europe’s branch of General Motors. VW is the biggest carmaker in Europe having annual sales in the excess of US $151 billion and selling up to 6.7 million units a year. Porsche has lower revenue of US $9.3 billion selling about one hundred thousand units annually (Kingsbury Dauer, 2009). Porsche and Volkswagen have a long history that goes way before the issue of a merger arose. Ferdinand Piech and Wolfgang Porsche, the respective chairpersons of the two firms, are the grandchildren of Ferdinand Porsche who foundered both companies in the 1930s.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Members of the Porsche and Piech families own between them 50% of Porsche Automobil SE stock. The two firms have even collaborated in the past to put on the market vehicles such as the Porsche Cayene SUV and the Touareg wh ose parts are manufactured in the same plant (Anon, 2009). Competition within the automobile industry The automobile industry is very competitive, more so in the face of the global financial crisis that has shaken even the strongest of giants. The top ten brands on the global market are Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford Motor, Company, Peugeot, Honda, Suzuki and Renault. In the biting recession, the motor industry has been hard hit with major companies such as GM and Chrysler seeking bankruptcy protection from their governments or opting for mergers. The units of sales have declined sharply and profit margins have narrowed. Being in the automobile industry is simply not as lucrative as it was before the recession (carazoo.com, 2009). Why the Volkswagen-Porsche merger is a vertical merger There are three different types of mergers namely horizontal, vertical and conglomerate mergers. A conglomerate merger is one between two firms that are in two totally unrelated fiel ds of business while a vertical merger is one that takes place between two firms in a related business but with one being the buyer and the other the seller. A vertical merger takes place between two firms in the same line of business and who are competitors of each other (Block et al, 2008). Thus, the merger between Porsche and VW is a vertical merger because both firms are in the automotive industry. Why the Volkswagen-Porsche merger is a ‘friendly’ acquisition and the concerns regarding the acquisition The merger between VW and Porsche can be termed as a friendly merger because the terms of the merger have been negotiated by directors of the two firms until they have worked out an agreement which both parties find satisfactory. There was a three and a half year tag of war between Volkswagen and Porsche before the two companies finally hammered out a deal that was satisfactory to both. Porsche initially wanted total acquisition of VW, going as far as buying up 75% of VW stock, but had to settle for a merger (Boston, 2009). What VW plans to do is to take the brand names, along with other brands already under VW, and consolidate them into a holding company which Porsche terms as being an ‘integrated leading company’ (Boston, 2009). Synergy gains, portfolio effects, taxes, risk and the Volkswagen-Porsche mergerAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate merger between Volkswagen and Porsche specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Firms create mergers for a varied number of reasons; these can either be financial or non-financial (Block et al, 2008). The reasons behind the merger between Volkswagen and Porsche fall into both of these categories. One of the motives that can drive firms to form mergers is on a bid cost savings; this is to the cut down on the cost of growth as compared to gearing internal growth. Taking over from a destabilized firm is more cost effective than tryi ng to generate growth using the resources that are already at the firm’s disposal. Acquisition means that the resources that were available to the acquired firm are now at the disposal of the firm conducting the acquisition (Block et al, 2008). A non-financial reason for carrying out a merger is for its managerial rewards. A firm may have the aspiration to expand its management and marketing capabilities while at the same time acquire new products to add to its brand. While this can be done through internal growth, it would be more expensive and take a greater deal of innovativeness and the dedication of a more company resources. Through acquisition, the firm can achieve all of the above in a way that is actually beneficial to itself. Those on the management team of the acquiring firm might be presented with the opportunity to get lucrative management positions that result from the merger (Block et al, 2008). For a firm like Volkswagen, there is also power play involved. Pors che and VW have been waging a power struggle for years now, with either company trying to outdo the other. Porsche incurred a debt of US $2 billion while covertly buying VW stock in a secret takeover bid. The thrill and prestige of whoever was to get the last laugh has shaped the way the two firms are going about their merger with VW seemingly turning the tables on Porsche at the last moment (Anon, 2009). The former CEO of Porsche, Wendelin Wiedeking saw the merger between the two firms as a way of making them into a single holding so that there would be created an economy of scale. Wiedeking’s reasoning was that if Porsche became a part of the VW group, then the former would not face the stiff penalties governing carbon emissions by automobiles that have been put in place in Europe since VW has automobiles that are considered fuel efficient and low-emission. Porsche’s automobiles would then segue in with the VW ones without attracting too much attention (Boston, 2009) .Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More But why would the stockholders be willing for a merger to take place? Stockholders can be motivated to back a merger because for them it means that if the merger transaction is to be conducted in shares, then they will have the chance to acquire stock in the new company (Block et al, 2008). Stockholders can also get a chance to branch out into new and varied investments if the merger transaction is performed in cash. Taking the example of VW and Porsche, stockholders in the VW firm will be presented with the opportunity to acquire Porsche shares and stock. Mergers can be good for shareholders because it will mean more value on the shares. Mergers have the potential of raising the earnings per share because of greater confidence of their value on the stock market (Block et al, 2008). When a large firm acquires a smaller one, the acquiring firm can make a quick profit by asset stripping. For the acquiring firm, a profit can be made by selling off assets brought in by the acquired busi ness (Block et al, 2008). A firm can be financially inclined to form a merger because of the resulting ‘portfolio effect’. This results when a firm can reap the benefits of economies of scale, cutting down on production costs as output increases on fewer resources, having a more extensive market reach and a broader market segment, as well as building up its tying and bundling techniques (Block et al, 2008). A merger can also make a firm more attractive to investment bankers who show an interest in financing projects that the firm might run in the future. Mergers may make a firm appear more financially sound and make it more viable to lending institutions. This is probably, another portfolio effect, because of the diversification of risk, without compromising the firm’s rate of returns (Block et al, 2008). Another non-financial reason for conducting mergers is to create synergy so as to cut down on production costs while at the same time increasing output. It is m ore profitable to apply a larger production unit to achieve a given task as compared to having smaller units performing the same tasks independently (Block et al, 2008). Conclusion As has been illustrated above, mergers can be beneficial to the acquiring firm because it creates room for growth. Mergers also have a portfolio effect in that the acquiring firms can access a larger market segment, spread their risk, capitalize on synergy and add to the value of their stock. The merger between Volkswagen and Porsche has taken nearly three years to work out. In the end, it will be beneficial to both firms since, being powerhouses on their own, their combined name will be an even more marketable brand. Again, Volkswagen can infuse the cash needed into Porsche to get the ailing firm out of its financial doldrums. Despite the initial hefty taxation costs that Volkswagen will have to pay in its acquisition of Porsche and the added risk of possible suits from hedge funds, the acquisition of Po rsche can be considered a feather in VW’s cap. Bibliography Anon. (2009, July 20). The World from Berlin: New Hurdles for VW-Porsche Merger. Spiegel Online International. Web. Block, S., Hirt, G., Danielsen, B. (2008). Foundations of Financial Management (13th ed.). New York: McGraw HIll. Boston, W. (2009, May 7). Porsche and VW Agree to a Merger. Time Magazine. Web. carazoo.com. (2009, October 7). Top 10 Car Makers of the World of 2009, Page 2 of 2 Associated Content associatedcontent.com. Automotive. Kingsbury, K., Dauer, U. (2009, August 14). VW Seals Deal for Porsche in Reversal of Fortune. WSJ.com. Wall Street Journal. New York. Web.

Free sample - Counter-force. translation missing

Counter-force. Counter-forceCounterforce can be defined as an opposing or a contrary force, particularly a military force that is capable of destructing the nuclear armaments that belong to an enemy.   Counterforce ensures that the adversary is disarmed by destructing its nuclear weapons earlier before they can be launched, and by this way, the impact of a retributive second strike is minimized. It is true that a counterforce target does not include an adversary’s population, political, or economic resources. A perfect counterforce attack would not kill any civilian. Military attacks have a tendency to causing collateral harm however. Particularly, this is very true as the nuclear weapons are used. In nuclear terms it has been found that most of the military targets are placed very close to civilian centers, such that if a major counterforce strike takes place, a number of civilian causalities will possibly result. Irrespective of the number and size of nuclear warheads, civilians will be threatened as long as the weapons are close to civilian centers (Lee, 1996).  Ã‚   Counterforce operations have been found to be the most effective in forbidding the use of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction which include, biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, at the commencement of a conflict. At the same time, the counterforce operations can be used to confuse, disorientate, and disorganize the forces of any given adversary.   Most of the people persistently believe that, the capability to fight, endure, and win a nuclear war makes the only really efficacious deterrent, and counterforce is the preferred strategy for these people (Hilsman, 1999).   It is apparent that counterforce is very important when it comes to damage limiting by the process of offensive action. Damage limitation can also come about due to defensive measures. If a country’s counterforce strike against an enemy is successful, it can indubitably limit the damage the enemy could cause the country. Counterforce operations will to a greater extent contribute to success in the time of war. The word damage-limiting is in a useful manner limited to describing the capabilities, defensive or offensive, that attempt to diminish the damage which the adversary can possibly inflict upon a country. This appropriates the expression ‘damage avoidance’ for the weapons systems, strategies, and warheads through which a nation would attempt to minimize the damage it would have to impose upon an enemy during the military operation. It has been found that a damage avoiding attack calls for the employment of accurate, small-sized warheads, and very accurate mis siles to eliminate those weapons of the adversary with the slightest practicable harm to the adversary’s people as well as economy (Lee, 1996). By Lee (1996), a perfect weapon for damage avoidance will destroy the weapons for enemies without harming their troops. Apparently, this will leave the adversary without a way to retaliate, and at the same time holding the adversary open to the coercive power of the weapons just like the involved nation will withhold from their counterforce strike. To diminish the enemy potential to impose damage on nations such as United States, offensive and defensive are the two ways which are employed. This is to eliminate by counterforce assail enemy missiles as well as other systems which are to deliver the warheads even before they can leave their forces. By this way, counterforce attack reduces the susceptibility of a nation by improvements in peaceful defenses as well as developing effectual antimissile systems of defense. By use of offensive, the capability of the enemy is curtailed by diminishing the total number of warheads which could be thrown at the involved nation.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Hilsman (1999), counterforce is a relatively effective strategy due to the following reasons: it is much easier to identify the location of an enemy weapon and attack it earlier before it is operational or is fired; and as well counterforce is found efficient and effective at the margins. The targets are frequently stationary and their whereabouts can be ascertained beforehand. This means that, to target the operating and storage facilities is easier as compared to destroying missile warheads which are traveling in the direction of a target at a very high speed. The fixed targets are comparatively large and at times located anterior to hostilities, meaning that they are susceptible to be destroyed as compared to moving individual weapons. Counterforce attacks are seen to be more efficient as compared to active defenses since they stretch forth the prospect of destroying lots of warheads or delivery systems with comparatively few weapons. In this case, it is true that expenditure rates on weapons favor counterforce to a greater extent such that a given nation can easily afford the option. For example, it is relatively easy to destroy ten warheads on a missile that is in its silo as compared to destroying individual ten warheads during which they speed in the direction of their targets. Surely, as one adopts an infrastructure of weapons system from individual warhead to the facilities of production, counterforce’s effectiveness at the margins gets readily obvious. Using the counterforce, there is an increased probability to destroy lots of missiles by attacking the facilities of assembly-fueling-mating as well as to destroy the big number of delivery vehicles by assailing the facilities for their storage. By stre tching out the prospect of destroying a number of individual weapons at the same time, counterforce has been found to be the most efficient constituent of a theater missile defense effort (Hilsman, 1999). According to Lee (1996), counterforce strategists reason that with sufficient counterforce capacity, a country can inflict a bargain that is not favorable to its opponent. By the intra-war hindrance that is provided by the counterforce capacity, a country can have its opponent to discontinue attacking, and this can be achieved in a way that is to the country’s relative advantage. It is of great importance when a country ensures that the opponent accepts a larger component of the restraint burden would there be projections concerning the war to be suitably limited. Through the use of its counterforce capability in forcing the opponents to pick out restraint, the country can have the most effectual way of attaining a suitable limited nuclear war.  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Hilsman, R., (1999). From Nuclear Military Strategy to a World Without War. New York: Praeger. Lee, S., (1996). Morality, Prudence, and Nuclear Weapons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Choose from description below Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose from description below - Research Paper Example The author gives a good example of Europe during the Cold War when a huge percentage of the countries embraced the constriction of their soldiers (Yew-Kwang 374). However, the military draft was governed with a lot of controversies ranging from the costs incurred on the same which has forced a huge percentage of the countries to focus on volunteer efforts from other agencies so as to evade the costs (Yew-Kwang 375). Additionally, the weapons adopted in the war system are actually extremely sophisticated which has also contributed immensely to the elimination of conscription (Yew-Kwang 374). Despite the fact that the author argues, that the military draft may involve a lesser cost, it is arguable that the costs of paying this fee will be burdened on the taxpayers who have to overstretch their pockets to cater for that fund (Yew-Kwang 375). Sands’ article argues that the military draft may be useful for the protection of the humans, but the challenges that come alongside it are massive. The author gives an example of the Soviet bloc during the 2nd World War (Sands 33). The article also explains that adopting an all-conscript force is actually too expensive and does not save much cost for the taxpayers (Sands 33). Leaders of the present day era, as Sands argues, are ones that military forces and not military-conscript forces (34). Hummel explains that the military draft was applied in the case of USA during the Mexican war (30). The practices of the militia were by then varied from state to the other, some states spending about 2.5 % for the military draft (Hummel 40). Hummel takes a stand by saying that the difference portrayed in the USA militia drafts kept improving over the years, which led to efficient services from the militants (48). However, the author concludes by saying volunteer militia would be fit today, as opposed to provision of drafts as well as coercion to the militants (Hummel 69) Critique Yew-Kwang’s article may be termed as a vali d one for the study of the topic. It begins from the perspective of the author on what they would have done if they were to choose for or against the military draft. The author then gives an introduction that summarizes the paper. The next section focuses on the analysis of the work which is also explained in the form of graphical representation to explain the author’s perspective in details. The author also gives a simple model of calculation of the draft and its implications in a graphical representation with formulae to explain the graph (Yew-Kwang 379). From the conclusion of the article, it is evident that the author supports military draft in a way as he argues out to the economists that the draft may attract desirable costs. Sands’ article is in prose from and is seemingly one that contains explanations that may not actually be justified on the basis of the conclusions made. If the author had actually given raw data probably from the military personnel, the arti cle would have had a stronger implication on the reader or researcher in this field. Lastly Hummel’s work gives a historical account of what had been taking place throughout the world regarding the provision of military drafts as well as their effectiveness. With a detailed account of some of the wars fought during the time, the reader gets a clear glimpse of the exact picture of what ensued during the past and what needs to

Marketing project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Marketing project - Essay Example The product spread to these countries due to the high population of the Islamic people who believe in their religion and cannot question their faith. The focus will be how to penetrate into the European country. The target market for the â€Å"HALAL† brand will be the Muslim people who believe in what is stipulated in the Quran to constitute a lawful meet among the Muslim religion. The brand position to be adopted is pricing the product high to presage the quality of the product (Cadogan, 2009). Messages would be sent to respective consumers telling them how the product is of high value to their health. In Qatar, the target customers have got different social-economic status as well as the variance in consumption rates due to the difference in preference and tastes. In this case, American will produce varieties of Halal meat putting into consideration the multinational diversity of the market segmentation. The current price of the Halal meat brand products like Baklava range is approximately $15.99. Though it can be seen as expensive, the underlying pricing objectives for the increase in price are to generate more profit from the sales, to meet the production and distribution costs and finally to demonstrate the products superior quality. The company will lower the price in future to increase further the demand as the law of demand and supply dictates. The objectives underlining the product promotion will be to increase the number of sales, attraction of more consumers, enhance the brand identity and recognition of the brand in the market. The company will select the best segment and design effective and sufficient strategies to facilitate the creation of consumers’ value and profitable customer relationships. American will utilize psychographic segmentation where it will target its client based on beliefs, religion, lifestyles, personal characteristics and

Understand the importance of early intrevention to support the Assignment

Understand the importance of early intrevention to support the speech,language and communication needs of children and young people - Assignment Example Early mediation means making a brief intercession to backing the child and their families. In the event that a child gets the right help early, they have a higher chance of tackling issues, communicating appropriately and making advancements in their lives (Guitar 2005, p. 293). If these problems are not recognized early on, then the child’s future development is at risk and they risk having problems in future. The early years are a period for kids advancement as their brains are yet forming and thus it is very important to recognize if the child has communication and language difficulties. A child’s speech, language and communication affects other areas of their lives and thus any challenges may hinder their development. They may find it hard to control their conduct and play with other kids which makes them feel detached and baffled. Language is connected to the advancement of proficiency (Guitar 2005, p. 292). Kids who have poor speech will find it hard to comprehend the connection in the middle of sounds and letter shapes so reading and writing could be postponed. Discovering approaches to help the youngster convey will help their self-esteem and help keep them from anti-social behavior practices. By cooperating as a group, multi-agencies can help a child to achieve their maximum capacity. These groups may incorporate speech and language specialist, instructive, therapist, physiotherapist, occupational advisor, Health visitors and pro educators for learning Support. They can get together and talk through what kind of help the kid, family and setting needs. It helps on the grounds that they can all set an objective or target together and concentrate on the primary issues (Guitar 2005, p. 294). In their gatherings they can examine who is going help the child and families and the when and wheres. This can give details to those working with the child of where to get help if more of it is required. Ensuring that each and every person included

Should Middle Schools be Drug Tested?

Should Middle Schools be Drug Tested? Drugs are ruining everyones lives and its killing children and adults. We all know the damage it leaves, by causing families to suffer from addiction or death. Kids are getting money for drugs by stealing, their parents, or even friends, its hard to say when they start and how far gone,   since not everyone is open about their addiction. We do have a chance to fight the drug war by drug testing in middle school. Drug testing kids in junior high would identify behavior issues, effect they learning, the effects of long term abuse and the most important addictions. Behavior issues is one of the most obvious tell of abuse of drugs paranoia, aggressiveness, and impulsiveness are the most common things to look for. People who are consuming drugs lose their sense of compassion or even common sense. It shows that drugs strips you of what makes you human and gives you this need to fill a void that always empties in the end. They slowly lose themselves to a never ending need that will deter people, so they will be forced to live alone leading them to be introverted. Abusing drugs eventually leads to you slowly kill your brain cells therefore killing any chance to learn again. Drugs hijacks your nerves to flood your brain with dopamine but the problem with that it floods your system, and just like a regular flood there is a abundance so you are drowning your brain in dopamine. Draining you of both memory and focus so your losing the memory to do basic things like get up in time, personal hygiene, balancing eating, and sleep. Addiction is the absolute worse effect, making you want more of your fix leading you to a destructive circle. Its much easier for a teen to get caught in this circle and once there caught it hard to break out. Your life starts to circle around the drugs you take; you start hanging out with other people who also do it, so you can get more drugs. You work more to get more drugs; even waking up just to get another fix in order to keep your body in balance. The more you do the drug the more it becomes a part of your life; but when it hits a certain point there will no help to break you out of the circle. Once you fall in the circle you will start to feel a physical need to your fix once you go a time without it your body start to shut down; leaving you with no immune system getting you sick more of the time. After all the sickness and getting more drugs your emotions connected when you get another dose you start feeling normal, but as soon as you run out thats when desperation kicks in. leaving you to lie and steal more drugs or things to sell to pay for them. All that leads you to is a life of crime running or going to jail doing all you can for your little drug to feel normal again leaving you back to the decision that got you here. Drugs cause a much shorter life expectancy because of all the health concerns a few major one are cancer, strokes, and even abnormal heart rate. Cancer would just be a lingering thing that will follow you throughout your life ether slowly killing you or just being an everyday thing dealing with it. Your body is all you have why would you just give it a deadly debases that will be a slow and painful death. Strokes are a thing that can happen to anybody the only thing is it increases the chances to get them. The strokes affect your whole body giving your body a weakness and numb feeling making everyday thing much harder. Not to mention the increase heart rate can lead to all kinds of problems a few are faintness, dizziness, loss of coordination, and lightheadedness. In any case increase heart rate for too low will cause much more problems than the benefits of taking drugs will ever give you, In conclusion I agree with the idea of drug testing of junior high students for purpose of identifying at risk students for potential drug addiction.   By identifying the students through behavioral issues as well as learning problems, we can start to break the chain of addiction and ensuring we get them medical help to these students who become more productive and valued members of society. Concept Of Hegemony: The US Concept Of Hegemony: The US Forms Of United States Power And The Concept Of Hegemony According to Warteberg, power can be described as a natural artifact which is an aspect of human life which provides human being with means to cooperate with each other and at the same time make group decisions. This can be considered as ability to perform certain actions or to look over something. According to Warteberg, there are two positions of power which provides external structures for dominant and subordinate position. In this respect, there is a dominant and on the other hand a subordinate. In most cases you will find that socially aligned agents will act to represent the dominant agent in a bid to control subordinate agents. From this we can conclude that there exist power relationships which can be described as a social phenomenon which is made possible due to the fact that there is an external set of agents and practices but not due to any individual capacity. It is in view of the above theory that this paper is going to look closely at the power of US. This paper will examine closely the seat of US power and how the above theory applies to its relationship with the states and with the international community. This paper will also look closely at the concept of hegemony and how it has been applied in the current power status of the world. Finally it will look on how the concept of hegemony can be defeated in the world. In its simplest definition, power can be considered as the ability to influence others to do what you want. Power is articulated in many ways including threatening, paying or co-opting those who you want to exercise your power on. Of all the threes means of articulating power, getting others attracted to what you want is the best means since it cost less and is even has more effect. (Nye 1990, p. 23) If we look closely at the theoretical power structure of the United States, we acknowledge that there are four main building blocks of power in this country. Power in any form is manifested in networks of ideological, economic, military and political which can simply be termed as the building blocks of power structures. A close analysis of American power reveals that it is class dominated and it is close to the power of Europe and Middle ages in the 19th century which was dominated by economic and political power networks. But we have to come to an agreement that power is rooted in organizations in the United States and in other nations. According to Michael Manns theory (1986, p. 1) the structures of power in most western civilization can be understood by determining the intertwining and relative importance of the organizations at any time in four overlapping and intersecting social spatial networks of power. These networks are basically as mentioned above. The United States can be considered to the pinnacle of the world power as far as many of us are concerned. This comparison is often made to what was reached by other states which had assumed the same status as the United States like the British or Roman Empire. But contrary to the earlier powers, todays power is vested in military might, economic power and cultural sway all which have not been found effective enough to wield a powerful position in the modern world. (Fergusson, 2003) Let us look at the concept to hard power. Hard power is the predominant realistic measure of the power of a nation usually seen through population, military, economy and others aspects. Although many scholars have accepted that the level of technology and problems that the modern world is facing makes it impossible for one country to wield that power, it is clear that the United States occupy a unique position in the world which it can use to lead the world in a constructive manner. United States wields much economic and military power both which are regarded as hard power which can be used to persuade other nations to follow its suit. (Boehm 1999, p. 124) On the other hand it also wields what can be called soft power which is vested in culture, strength of ideals, the willingness of other nations to adopt the articulated ideals and the capacity to leaders moral authority. Soft power is the term that is used to describe the capacity of any political body like a state that have an indirect influence on other states in terms of behaviors and interest which are articulated through culture and ideologies. There is a general agreement that the strength of American soft power is vested in the spread of modern culture in fashion and clothing like the spreads of blue jeans, music ant others. Many countries in the world are today following the ideal of democracy which has been nurtured in America and which is spreading fast to other states. All these countries which have adopted these ideals look upon America for protection of freedom and observation of basic human rights. As has been expressed there are basic things that must be present if nat ion is to express its soft power. The aspect of culture, values and foreign policies must be exercised very well in order for the concept of soft power to work. (Stanford 1994, p. 126) The above two forms of power are seen as what has driven America to occupy its current position in the world. There is a general agreement that if the above powers are used wisely, America can remain on the seat of power for the next decades. But it is not everyone who agrees to this idea. The concept of hegemony Let us look at the concept of hegemony. The concept of hegemony has been used for along time now to refer to the idea of existence of dominance by one social group. It was first used by Italian Communist Antonio Gramci who had been imprisoned by Mussolini up to his death in 1926. He supported this concept with the idea of emergence of new elite which was followed by a change of mens consciousness. He reasoned that a class that is politically dominant is also ideologically dominant meaning that it keeps its position because the dominated class accepts its moral and intellectual leadership. (Stanford, 1995) In this regard, it follows the earlier description of power by Wattenberg in that there is a ruling group called the hegemon which acquires a degree of consent from the subordinate group unlike in a case where the dominance exerts its power on the subordinate group using force. The concept of hegemony has been used widely in many places to refer to any form of dominance more so when one is refereeing to dominance through culture and non-military. The concept of hegemony can be described in many fronts all which refer to the way dominance is created. For example it can be achieved through the use of institutions in a bid to formalize power, the use of bureaucracy which makes others see power as abstract, and in other manes. It can also be achieved through the articulation of hard power over others like the use of military or imposition of economic sanctions. The rise of the concept is directly linked to the struggle that has been there in the world to acquire dominance. Since the era of cold and the signing o the Warsaw Pact, there had been many instances in which the concept of hegemony has been applied. In this era, it was seen as a moment of attaining the much needed hegemony through the struggle of cold war. In particular, it was seen as a bitter struggle between the then two superpowers of the world, Russia and America in a bid to find their rightful position in the world. After the end of the cold war and the collapse of the communism Russia, the concept of hegemony has been purely used to refer to the role played by the United States as a superpower. This is due to the role that American has played since then which makes it appear like it is having the power to lord over others. But has it really grasped the concept of hegemony? This has been an issue of contention and a topic that attracts many scholars of international relations. The opponents argue that although the United States has used all its hard and soft power to realize dominance, it has been able to achieve this. This is because it seems to lack the necessary resource to position itself well in a position to dominate others. The emergence of other powers in the world like European Union, China, India and others is also seen as a big stumble for the United States in a bid to reestablish itself as the world power. On the other hand proponents point out the various achievements that the United States has which puts it in a position to dominant others. They argue in support of its military might. This is a concept that with but we have to ask ourselves the extent to which the United States has been able to use this power. Except in the end of the Second World War, there are other very few instances in which the United States has bee able to use its military power to dominate others. The United States used it military power to bomb Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan which somehow brought the bitter Second World War to end. If we take another example, it also used its power during Gulf war to drive Saddam Hussein and his troops out of Iran. But since then, it seems there is a surging rise of the concept of responsibility which has been achieved through world bodies like the United Nations. The United Nations has put in place rules which require the exercise of veto power in voting for any military action. Here some proponents of the idea of hegemony for United States argue that although it holds the hard power, it is restricted by the provisions of some of those agreements to exercise this power. But lets us look at this closely. (Stewart 2001, p. 78) There are many incidences in which America has tried to use its hard power but it has failed. Take an example of Vietnam. During the cold war, American soldiers underwent serious military casualties in Vietnam. Here America rallied all its military power but it failed. From Vietnam America learned that hard power alone is not enough to guarantee dominance and some soft power is needed as well. It learned that there must be the use of influence of culture, value and foreign policies if a country will succeed in achieving the concept of hegemony. One of the worst calamities to hit America in the recent past has been the terrorist attack on Twin Towers on September 11 2001. This attack reminded America that although it presumed to have dominance over others, its hard power could be put to test. After that the Bush administration mobilized all the hard power in American possession in what was descried as war on terror. But again the issue of hegemony comes in light here again. The United States had to seek support of its allies who thought that they were also at risk of a terrorist attack. In its campaign, America was able to convince some countries in the world with almost equal hard power like Britain and others. But eight years down the line, the war which was seen to come to end in a matter of days owing to the military might of the force is still to end and no progress has been achieved. To make the matter worse, Britain which is a partner of United States in Afghanistan where the Taliban and the Al Qaeda are supposed be h iding also suffered a terror attack in London Railway system. Even a combination of all that force could not subdue the terrorist. From Afghanistan, America directed its force to Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein and install a democratic government in the country. But still there are no positive results coming from the country. This teaches us one lesson that in the modern world no single county can assume to have achieved the concept of hegemony. Though it may be referred to in many incidents, it does not apply in the real sense. What we are witnessing is the rise of power axis. This is mainly practiced in the United Nations Security Council where we see another bitter struggle for dominance. We see is a scenario where Russian and China always vote against the United States and its allies. This indicates that the so called powerhouse of the world have realized that they can no longer remain effectful in the face of the changing world. We can therefore say that the concept of hegemony has not achieved its meaning in the modern world. But if the current trend continue, we are going to come to a situation where there will emerge two parallel axis as history repeat itself. What many articulate here is that, the cold war has not ended, and the emerging axis is still allied to the earlier axis in the cold war. It is a struggle between capitalism and communism which is taking place once again. This is bringing more polarization to the concept of hegemony. How can we overcome hegemony? One thing we all agree to is that the concept of hegemony is being practiced in various sectors of life in our society. Therefore we cannot say that because it has become difficult for individual countries to achieve the concept of hegemony, then we should sit and watch. Since it practiced in our smaller societies there is need to work towards fighting the concept and its development. With the current trend in the world, we have seen that there is likelihood that the concept will take root. So what can we do to fight the concept? There is a common concession that the only best way to fight hegemony in the world would be by bringing about equality among all nations and among all communities living in a nation. The source of hegemony is directly attributed to a system of inequality which gives one party advantage over the other. Inequality in the world has been the source of acceptance of dominance by many countries especially those in the developing world. Tracing history since the era of colonization, there had been systematic inequality in access of resources which gives some countries undue advantage over the rest. (Joseph 2002, p. 54) Therefore, the only method that we can use to end hegemony would be through implementation of policies are aimed helping nations access resource in an equal manner. This will call for reviewing of international relationship including trade agreements which has been oppressive to the developing world. Following the postulation by Gramci, this will be achieved only when intellectuals rise to the challenge. In this regard the school ahs a role to play. This means that one of the most important tools that can be used to fight hegemony would be ensuring that there is access to quality education by all people in the world. (Moraes 2003, p 654) The modern world is driven by technology and many countries in the world which are fighting to acquire dominance like China have achieved this by improving their economy through technology. Education plays a crucial role in advancement of technology in any nation. In this regard intellectuals must inculcate a degree of self discipline and moral autonomy to resist colonization of their minds. This means intellectuals must become the ambassadors of the new culture in their own nations. Conclusion As we have seen no county can be said to have practiced the idea of hegemony not even the United States. But hegemony is practiced in our small societies and there is need to take bold measures in order to fight its. This will be achieved only when there is some degree of equableness in the society. 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