Government Control and Subsidy of Energy vs. Private Sector Investment Essay

A subsidy is a payment from the government to a business to encourage the continual use or development of a technology or product that is considered to be useful or beneficial to the society. Most often, the money (or subsidies) is coming directly from taxpayers. This is where Milton Friedman’s signature phrase, â€Å"there’s no such thing as a free lunch† comes in to play. A unit of a product or service may be free for one person, someone or something is enduring an opportunity cost. Currently, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are being subsidized by roughly $24 billion a year because of the perceived environmental benefits that go along with â€Å"green† technologies. However, renewable energy companies such as Solyndra have gone bankrupt and the government has supported them to keep them running via subsidies. The argument for continuing these subsidies is that wind and solar are still in the start-up phase in the industrial world a nd have not yet reached large scale markets. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that these companies will ever be largely profitable because renewable energy, with a few exclusions, are unable to reach the profitable market margin that generating plants fueled by coal, natural gas or nuclear can. While the government tries to focus their support on said renewable energies, only providing limited tax breaks for the private oil companies, the US private sector has produced a substantial increase in oil. 2011 was the third consecutive year of higher domestic oil production and, at the same time, natural gas output reached an all-time high. Over the past five years, about two thousand new jobs have been created in the oil and gas industry while employment growth for renewable energies has been limited at best. With many of the recent failures of several renewable energy companies, employment has declined in this area during several periods. The renewable industry will also struggle to prosper because they rely too heavily on the government for support. The government has taken billions of dollars and will place it in this industry with little to no return for the enrichment of the economy and society. Friedman makes a rather sarcastic comment on activities like this by saying, â €Å"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand†. This is an example of rent-seeking. Rent-seeking is a term, used by economists, to describe actions that involve a political process of taking wealth of others and getting essentially a loss of wealth. Without the incentive to compete to raise and gain money, the renewable energy industry doesn’t feel the need to produce more efficient and cost effective products or services. On the flip side of that, since most companies in the oil industry are in the private sector, the profit alone is a large enough incentive to supply valued goods and services at reasonable prices. If private sector companies do not continually improve or develop, they will quickly be â€Å"weeded out†. Since the private markets are decidedly competitive, they are continually searching for the sweet spot in the market that assures a large and readily available supply of energy and the cleanest yet practicable balance of the usage of our limited resources, all at the lowest price possible. Despite the fact that for more than a decade, there has been a large amount direct taxpayer support, renewable energy still cannot meet the market demand and, therefore, the subsidies for these areas should be significantly reduced if not completely done away with. If politicians are truly concerned with cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a better allocation of federal spending would be to target subsidies and incentives towards natural gas and nuclear power plants. These clean-burning fuels can heat our homes, power our vehicles, and generate electricity for America’s households and industries a lot more cheaply and reliably than renewable energy can. If America is not careful, it will quickly fall into crony capitalism. Crony capitalism, in layman terms, is where private businesses focus on doing political favors rather than the consumer market because the government uses spending, regulations, and subsidies to benefit businesses that provide political support. Instead of trying to pick winners and losers, the government should create a competitive marketplace with fair rules, no subsidies, and allow the private sector to prosper. One great aspect of America is the freedom to continuously change business strategies and marketing to adapt to change. Like Milton Friedman said, â€Å"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.†

Phase 2 Individual Project Essay

There are many businesses that have expanded their business internationally in order to benefit in some sort of way rather it revenue or a better market for their product. In this thesis, I will research a multination company and its international strategy over the last 10 years. I will elaborate on it international orientation and rather it etho-, poly-, or geocentric. I than explain why the company decided on expanding to the chosen locations. Then I will clarify if they had core capability to succeed in those markets, along with its opportunities and constraints. Last, I will define value chain dispersal and integration strategy and describe the strategy that’s organized around it. I chose to research McDonalds, because it is one of the most successful restaurant chains around the world. They use effective management to strategize global expansion. . They develop effective customer brand loyalty through their Human Resource Department and company personnel. McDonald’s international orientation has ethnocentric and polycentric approaches. Its ethnocentric approach begins with how they initially entered international markets by leveraging standardized product offerings, clean and bright environments, and American brand equity (McDonald’s Success Strategy and Global Expansion through Customer and Brand Loyalty). But with changing times McDonalds have adapted to local regions remodeling it retail space and while changing product line to appeal to local taste. By the golden arch being connected to American culture, it can be at risk in other countries by not staying true to what McDonald’s stand for. By brushing aside ethnocentric considerations , it could be an identity lost. The polycentric approach is how they provided growth and employment to a vast  number of minority groups in the United States and people around the globe. McDonalds is culturally connected around the world be providing business training for employees in Hong Kong and in the UK offering 1800 to employees to continue their education, just to name a few. The influence and most of McDonald’s success is the investment of significant in their employee’s growth and job satisfaction. McDonalds was founded in 1943, and 1967 British Colombia was its first international expansion, advertising to middle and upper class. McDonalds decided to expand internationally, due to the enormous success in America. There was heavy research involved in the expansion. Through globalization and internationalization, McDonalds were able to develop marketing strategies according to cultural needs, to serve specific target markets. McDonalds enter India’s foreign market and 1996 and is a to ugh foreign market to enter, but with McDonald’s success they were able to earn high revenue in India. The success strategy is researching and the development of food. McDonalds thoroughly analyzed the preferred taste, especially to not offend locals. Their key to success is to â€Å"think global, act local.† Furthermore, McDonald’s is a true franchise success; the success of McDonald’s goes back to its roots, the start. By being consistent and providing quality service, cleanliness, and values at all times, customers have nothing to complain about and customers always know what to expect locally and internationally. With making things new and fresh, innovation is a key component to the success internationally. By taking the necessary steps and observing differences in cultures, they were able to tweak their products without causing disruption. Also, McDonalds turns bad into success, by being in the forefront of environmental issues McDonalds took their issues and established their own Global Environmental committee and outlined the steps to reduce solid waste. Ov er the years there has been much global health concern, mainly in relation to children. In response to the concerns, McDonald’s formed the Global Advisory Council (GAC) in 2004. The GAC is an international team of independent experts assembled by McDonald’s to provide us with professional guidance in the areas of nutrition and children’s well-being (The Success of McDonald’s Franchise). Finally, what is value chain dispersal and integration strategy? Value chain dispersal is how a business receives information and takes the information to add value to their business in the selling of their product to customers.  Value chains can produce goods or services. The goal of the business to produces maximum value for the least total cost. Integration strategy is use in the training of management and employees, reduce in-effective communication, and reduce cost. The international strategy that is organized around value chain dispersal and integration strategy involving McDonald’s, is that they know their strengths and weaknesses. Adding values strengthens the corporations as a global economy, where the weaknesses are transformed into a positive factor. These projects take effective management. Effective in management in turn can produce great employees, in which they can effectively communicate and execute the mission and statement. In conclusion, it was very informing to research a franchise success, such as McDonald’s. What is even more intriguing is their success locally and internationally and how they cater to different cultures, by researching needs and wants. McDonald’s knows what takes to be a huge success is and success takes brain-storming, along with talent. Reference McDonald’s Success Strategy And Global Expansion Through Customer And Brand Loyalty. The Clute Institute Journal Of Business Case Studies, 3. Retrieved from http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBCS/article/view/4857/4949 McDonald’s International Strategy: Squander Brand Equity? (2009). Retrieved from http://www.sundarganapathy.com/blog/2009/04/20/mcdonalds-international-strategy-squander-brand-equity/ Roger, Arvind, Kashlak, Rabi, Bhagat, & Phatak (2009). International Management: Managing in a Diverse and Dynamic Global Environment (2nd ed.). [Course Smart Solutions]. Retrieved from http://wow.coursesmart.com/9780077674113/?CSTenantKey=coloradotech&spid= The Success of McDonald’s Franchise. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.franchisedirect.com/information/trendsfacts/thesuccessofmcdonalds/8/1111/#note4

Argueing for the Legalization of same-sex marriages in Illinois Essay

Argueing for the Legalization of same-sex marriages in Illinois - Essay Example to make decisions for their partner who is being hospitalized, have the right to sue on their partner’s behalf and cannot be forced to testify against them in court. Married couples also pay less in taxes and receive many other social and financial benefits. But because gay couples are legally prevented from marrying, they are excluded from receiving the same considerations that married heterosexual couples enjoy (Eagle, 2006). This paper will more closely examine the benefits denied gay couples as well as the political and legal implications involved with the issue. It will conclude with a discussion involving one of the main non-religious based reasons that those who oppose gay marriage espouse, the affect of this type of living arrangement on the children of the relationship. The argument proposed by the opponents of gay marriage is that the U.S. Constitution guarantees a republican form of government in which elected officials are intended to set social policy for the nation. Legislators do this by representing their constituent’s moral views when drafting laws. Because the Constitution bars the intertwining of state and religion, the only method of ensuring that moral and ethical codes are enforced throughout society is through acts of legislation. In fact, lawmakers draft laws that address moral issues constantly and not just in high profile matters such as abortion, pornography and gay rights. When courts determine morality issues, they counteract legislation meant to protect the moral fabric of society and break down the constitutionally guaranteed separation of powers within the government. â€Å"When judges erode the power of the people’s representatives to set society’s moral compass, they likewise undercut the authority of parents, schools, and other community groups to set the standards they would like to see their children and fellow citizens live by. Indeed, it is a frontal assault on community values writ large† (Raul,

Compare and contrast snow crash to the matrix Essay

Compare and contrast snow crash to the matrix - Essay Example Bob Rife’s virus from spreading, Neo in the Matrix movie does the same but his fight is directed to machines. Hiro’s fight is simple as compared to the task that Neo engages into. The Matrix movie spreads a darker picture as compared to Snow Crash because of the heroic acts that Neo has to engage into to achieve justice. This paper will compare and contrast the Snow Crash novel and The Matrix Movie. As stated above, the two works present dystopian perspectives into the future where the societies in the two works are grappling with certain problems. The two societies face problems that must be urgently solved so that people can lead happy lives. The struggles can be seen in the main actors’ engagements trying to solve these issues. However, the problems are not entirely the same as in the Snow Crash, Hiro fights against the spread of the virus while in the Matrix, Neo fights with machines. Clearly, this puts The Matrix on the higher edge in terms of the magnitude of the problem. In the movie, The Matrix (1999), the audience has been put in a future dystopian society, where human beings are living a somewhat normal life but again different because they are enslaved and are used as powering gadgets for their rulers electrical requirements. They have been imprisoned and are misused to power the sentient machines. The problem arises from the fact that the sentient machines rebel against the human population because the stormy clouds blocked the sun, which acted as their main source of power. Therefore, for them to survive they have to get power from the human body heat and this is what Neo fights vehemently. Human beings are forcibly put in pods, from where the thermal energy and bioelectricity are taken out of the human beings for use by the machines. The machines also use control the minds of the human beings using cybernetic implants. This is clear in Neo’s statement where he says, â€Å"I don't like the idea that I'm not in control o f my life† (Wachowski and Wachowski). This misuse of the human beings links them to a simulated reality known as the Matrix and is what Neo tries so hard to fight against. This heroic act is like fighting against a ruler or something superior by many standards. This virtual reality world, simulated by the program characterizes the civilized world that has enslaved the minds of human beings, but cannot comprehend this. This is clearly seen when Morpheus says, â€Å"If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain† (Wachowski and Wachowski). Stevenson’s depiction of the future in unpleasant but is not forsaken as people like the one Morpheus and Neo are determined to destroy the entire ruling class having attained enlightenment. For example, Morpheus says, â€Å"I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it† (Wachowski and W achowski). Despite the fact that there is similar injustices in Snow Crash where bleak institutions have replaced the democratic ones, the injustice is not similar because the human beings show the ability to adapt to the changes. In his work, Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson, portrays a similar dystopian that is present in The Matrix. Just like in the movie, where the existence of the machines upsets human beings, the existence of the lethal drug known as the Snow Crash makes life unbearable because of the dependence and makes Hiro, the protagonist determined to des

Competencies English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competencies English - Essay Example The aim of this annotated bibliography is to act as a resource on competencies for any researcher. Bobs, S. (1999). ‘Culturally competent research: an ethical perspective.’ Clin Psychol Rev. 19(1):4555. This article looks at the ethical guidelines and principles perspectives for providers on matters related to research on populations from ethnic minorities. Issues like informed consent presentation or reporting to those taking part in research, studies that are not appropriate on populations dominated by ethnic minority, researchers lacking diversity amongst themselves, and instrument assessment that are culturally insensitive are discussed in the article (Bobs, 1999). The article goes further to recommend certain criteria and responsibilities for cultural competence which include; involving the youth more in researches as concerned citizens as well as investigators, The recommendations generally address the bigger issue of failing to acknowledge persons in their differe nt cultural context. The article concludes by presenting what the ethical guidelines and principles imply on providers. The article is reliable as it fully covers cultural competence issues and goes further to offer recommendations on the same. The recommendations are detailed thus can be relied upon by any reader. Brach, C & Fraser, I. (2000). ‘Can cultural competence reduce racial and ethical health disparities? A review and conceptual model.’ Med Care Res Rev. 57(S1):181217 This article addresses a model on conceptual cultural competency that is aimed at reducing ethnic and racial disparities. The model makes use of literatures on cultural disparities and competency to develop a strong foundation so as to enable it gain assessments of validity information. The article has come up with nine main techniques on cultural competency. The techniques include; retention and recruitment policies, interpreter services, community health workers utility, traditional healers trai ning coordination, health promotion health promotion, organizational and administrative accommodation and different cultures immersion(Brach and Fraser, 2000). The article then offers explanations on how the techniques can be theoretically applied to improve health system’s ability and how the clinical offers can be used to deliver services that are appropriate on diverse populations thus improving the techniques results and at the same time check on their disparities. The article ends by challenging future researchers to focus on the evidence provided by the techniques on cultural competence on their effectiveness and how they are to be implemented. This is a problem solving article thus highly recommended for researchers on cultural competence issues. Luquis, R. & Perez, M. (2006). ‘Cultural competency among school health educators.’ Journal of Cultural Diversity. 13(4):217-22. This article was published following the American classrooms changing demographics t hat made health educators imperative while possessing the ability to offer health education. The article has responded to this situation by describing the cultural competence levels among health educators in schools and includes ways in which the educators can be able to improve their respective cultural competency. The research covered by this article indicates that educators posses cultural awareness but still suggest that more research should be conducted in the same area so as to increase the understanding of

The Importance of Coffee in the Brazilian Economy Essay

The Importance of Coffee in the Brazilian Economy - Essay Example This paper demonstrates the importance of coffee production in the economy of Brazil. There is two figures in the essay which graphically illustrates the production of coffee over the recent years. Brazil is not only the largest producer of coffee and produces an estimated one third of world’s total coffee produce, and is also the world’s second largest consumer of coffee behind USA. Coffee is a key ingredient of the economy of the country on three main counts – a key economic activity contributing to the GDP, a major export item, and an important industry for employment. Agriculture accounts for 36% of Brazil’s exports, with coffee being the biggest exported agricultural item at $4.7 billion, by value. Coffee contributes to 0.27% of the total economy in Brazil and 2.1% of total exports. Brazil has 2.1 million hectares of land under coffee cultivation (ICO) with an estimated 350,000 producers spread through 14 states, and 160 firms exporting coffee. The production and processing of coffee is highly labor intensive industry and the coffee industry provides direct and indirect employment to nearly 8.5 million people in Brazil. This translates to almost 5% of the total population working in the coffee industry in Brazil. Historically, coffee has been an important component of the economy in Brazil. Brazil was the largest producer of coffee in the world and it accounted for 75% of Brazil’s total exports. Although this weight has reduced significantly over time, the contribution of coffee to the economy is still significant. In the 1990s, coffee was a key pillar of the economy in Brazil by supporting it in four ways – contribution to the economic activity, contribution to exports thereby increasing the foreign reserves, contribution to employment, and a key area of foreign investment. The coffee market was under government control until the 1990s, when the government decided to convert it to free market. This led to a lot of foreign investment in the sector and therefore helped the economy build its foreign reserves. The production and export trend of coffee is shown in Figure 1 below. It is evident that the coffee production overall has been increasing over the years. Also, the exports of coffee have been increasing constantly in accordance with the production. The peak production reached was in 2002 when it reached 2.65 million metric tons (MMT). However, although the coffee exports have been generally increasing, the weight of coffee in exports (by value) has been generally decreasing over the years, and over the last few years has stabilized at 2.1%. This is evident in Figure 2 where it is seen that the weight of coffee in exports has continuously reduced from a peak of 5.2% in 1997 to 1.8% in 2004 where after it has almost stabilized to 2.1%. Coffee is clearly a key part of the Brazilian economy - it forms a large part of the agricultural produce of the country and is a major export item for Brazil. It provides employment to nearly 5% of the Brazilian population and has historically been an important driver for foreign investments. Over the years, its relative weight in exports has been decreasing indicating that the dependence of the Brazilian economy on coffee is decreasing slowly; however, coffee still continues

Medium is the Message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Medium is the Message - Essay Example In considering the overarching nature of the song medium there are a number of reasons I chose this as my primary area of investigation. The primary reason I chose this medium relates to the subject matter embodied in the song. While the song is well over a decade old, when one examines the current political climate they recognize that there is great strife. For instance, one can consider the conflict that has arisen between the United States and the Middle Eastern states. While America has been progressively withdrawing forces, it goes without saying that there continues to be significant emotional conflict. In addition to this, I recognize that the medium of music is extremely powerful in its visceral appeals and this made me excited to investigate the medium. The song itself was recorded by Michael Jackson on his Dangerous album in 1991 (Michael Jackson: Dangerous’). It can broadly be categorized as pop, or soft rock and gospel. When one considers the target audience for th e song, it’s clear that while it has mainstream appeal, it is also intended for a more specific audience. In these regards, it seems that the song indicates that earth needs everyone to be as one in order to make a better world, especially the ones who creates war such as dictators or terrorist, as well as children because they are the new generation who can give hope for the future. Indeed, the song is open to the public sphere and encourages them to end the deterioration that is occurring as a direct result of war and conflict. Ultimately, the ideology that is being advanced is simply that it’s time to heal the world. In considering the reason that Michael Jackson wrote the song it’s clear there are a number of possible interpretations. From a cynical perspective one can argue that Michael Jackson was primarily interested in releasing a pop song that would sell to a mass audience. In considering the song it’s clear that the themes and message relate to a broad audience. The song’s can be listened to by individuals across the globe and they can equally relate to its message. In these regards, t