Select two of the movies that we have studied and compare and contrast Essay

Select two of the movies that we have studied and compare and contrast how they represent national identity and the national pas - Essay Example The success of the movies in bringing out matters of identity and national past are immense enough to be contrasted and compared in a meaningful and sustainable debate, as shall be seen forthwith. It is important to note that in Good Bye, Lenin! nationalism is still regarded as being propounded by the exploits of a state. This can be seen in the instance where Alex Kerner remembers as a child, how he as the first German and in the company of his compatriots, proudly entered space. The fact that this forms part of the movie’s prologue and is presented as a form of flashback, is significant. The significance of the scene is important since it portrays this national occasion as important to the state which is Germany. This caption seems to insinuate that national exploits make citizens more proud (of their country) and inspire the ‘we-feeling’ among citizens. The case immediately above converges ways with Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. This is because, the theme of loyalty to one’s state is extolled, though nationalism is not thoroughly mentioned in Bergman’s work. The extolling of nationalism in The Seventh Seal is seen in Knight Antonius Block obediently carry out the Crusades. The Crusades were sanctioned by the state under the tutelage of the monarch. Because of his loyalty to his state, Block engages in the Crusades, even if such engagements may portend risking life. The difference between the two movies is underpinned by the disparity of time in which they are set. While Good Bye, Lenin! has a setting that dates back to the Cold War (probably 1950s to 1990), The Seventh Seal has a setting that can date between 1095 and 1291 AD. In both cases, the concept of patriotism to one’s country was still regarded as paramount (Vermilye, 2006, 29). In the movie Good Bye, Lenin! the family is portrayed as having an immense influence on the personality and identity of an individual. For instance, after Alex’s father fle es to West Berlin, Alex has no recourse to living with his mother Christiane, his sister Ariane and Paula, Alex’s niece who is also Ariane’s daughter. In the absence of Alex’s father, his mother Christiane becomes an ardent follower of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and a radical idealist (Fisher and Prager, 2010, 17). It is most probable that the author of Good Bye, Lenin! writes the movie with a mind of conservative. This is seen in the manner in which he devotes his time to discuss the effect of national policies on the family. By highlighting the plight of Christiane, Alex and Ariane after the head of the family flees to West Berlin, the audience is made aware of the import of unfriendly policies and absentee fatherhood. It helps that the author uses Alex as a mouthpiece and the protagonist so that in him, the audience is made aware of the far reaching damages that accost an unstable family. Again, the author unites the family in the end, and thereby i mplying the triumph over the family, over state-sanctioned inhuman policies. It therefore suffices to say that the author tends towards familism rather than individualism, for he had the prerogatives to draw out a plotline that centres on an individual (in lieu of a family), yet he does not. It is also clear that in the period between 1945 (when Cold War started) and 1990 (when Cold War ended) had stronger family values, compared to the moment. Therefore, it is logical that Good Bye, Lenin! contains strong family values. As opposed to the case above where the author as an

A Debate that is related to Microeconomics Essay

A Debate that is related to Microeconomics - Essay Example It is important for economies to determine whether such ventures as minimizing IT will mean reduced operational costs and increased profits (which forms the core aim of all businesses) (Hubbard and Anthony, 377). Those who see IT as obsolete and replaceable say that the fact that almost all companies have embraced IT has removed the competitive edge it offers as a result of this ubiquity and is no longer important. IT, according to them, is therefore no longer a tool that a business can use as a tool for competition in the markets to advance itself above the rest. They therefore see it fit that companies that are wise and that have studied the times begin to swiftly reduce their spending on IT and focus on other ideas and innovations that can lead to originality and therefore serve as strength of a particular business against all the other market competitors. IT to them has simply become too old and basic and therefore expendable (Gravelle and Ray, 312). On the other hand, there are equally those who have vehemently argued against such claims of IT obsolescence. They state that IT comes with a plethora of benefits both to the consumer and the business itself. According to these proponents of IT, IT is irreplaceable in linking businesses and its consumers through the click of a button, a phone call or even email just to mention a few, while also offering a relatively easy source of information on the market trends, needs and preferences. It enables a company improve on service delivery and gain competitive advantage over others if superiorly utilized. IT also enables fast and efficient money transactions that are vital in the smooth running of any business set up, failure to which many businesses have crumbled prematurely (Hubbard and Anthony, 411). In my opinion therefore, IT remains important in businesses as it saves time and offers an

Dubai Ports World (DP World) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dubai Ports World (DP World) - Assignment Example Like most companies, DP World seeks growth and profitability through strategic initiatives, judicious financial management, and conducting routine internal assessments of its strength and weakness and understanding the industry threats and opportunities. In addition, positioning itself where it can take advantage of new market opportunities and grow is one thing. Coming up with new ways to conduct current operations is another. Modernizing its information technology infrastructure, sustaining a commitment to community projects in which it operates, understanding the political, social, economic and technological factors that influence its business and providing a work environment that DP world supports through training and development will position DP World to take advantage of opportunities to grow and expand into new markets. Core Industry Dubai Ports World (DP World) operates in the international marine terminal business (port operations) providing development and logistics services (DP World, 2010). Specifically, the majority of DP World management is in container handling services as part of an overall strategy of managing container, bulk and terminal cargo. In addition to containers, DP World also operates general cargo, bulk cargo, Ro-Ro vessel (such as car handling), and passenger terminals. DP World also operates P&O Maritime Services, DP World Cargo Services and DP World Intermodal. According to the DP World website, P&O Maritime Services is a ``specialist provider of maritime services to industry and government`` (DP World, 2010). DP World Cargo provides stevedoring (loading and unloading) services. These services include containers, bulk, general cargo, project cargoes, car carriers, reefer vessels and passenger vessel stores and baggage handling. DP World Intermodal operates what it refers to as ``outside th e gate`` (DP World Intermodal, n.d.) services to help clients streamline their supply chains, specifically in the railway services industry. This service is more formally called Container Rail Road Services Private Limited, or CRRS for short (DP World Intermodal, n.d.). Its P&O operations are diverse and include government shipping services, cargo services, port services (including skilled crews, shore support staff and vessel maintenance), offshore specialized marine services to the offshore oil and gas industry, defence, chartering (including ship brokering and chartering for mining and bulk minerals) and agency services (including ship agency, chandlery and manning services) (P&O Maritime, n.d.). Chandlery services cover supplies and equipment. Key Substitute Products / Services According to an OAS overview (Rossignol, 2007, p. 7), companies in this strategic assessment include (with number of ports in operation, millions of TEU throughput): 1. HPH - Hutchinson Port Holdings (45, 33.2). 2. PSA – Singapore Port Authority (25, 32.4). 3. APMT - APM Terminals (40, 24.1). 4. P&O Ports (acquired by DP World). 5. DP World (42, 35.2 – when combined with P&O Ports). 6. Evergreen Marine Corp (240, 11.5). 7. Eurogate (10, 11.4). 8. COSC - China Ocean Shipping Company (34, 8.1). 9. SSA Marine (150, 6.7). 10. MSH - Mediterranean Shipping Company (215, 5.7). Global growth is a key vision for DP World and this variable could be used as one of the key strategic measures. Growth can be measured in terms of TEU units. TEU is short for twenty-foot equivalent units as this is the majority of the industry

History of the Mexican Trains Ferrocarriles Research Paper

History of the Mexican Trains Ferrocarriles - Research Paper Example The transportation network has had a major part to play in the economic progression of every nation on the planet. A well constructed and collaborative transportation network is the only guarantee that goods, people and services can be located from one part of the country to another with speed, flexibility and at little cost. Transportation can be seen as having a direct link to economic expansion and sustenance. It is unrealistic to expect that one region or nation has the ability to produce all that it consumes. In a similar manner, it is unrealistic to assume that a region can consume all that it produces. In order to strike the balance between demand and supply of various kinds of goods and service it is essential to have a well planned and integrated transportation network to rely on. Only such a transport network could allow the impeccable coordination required between various sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, retailing etc. While the provision of a transport network is highly relevant to the modern economic system, but this was not always the case. Instead, a well integrated transportation network was required by nearly all great nations for keeping up with their military ambitions. Economic priorities remained secondary when the creation of a well integrated transportation network was taken into account during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Given the need to move economic goods as well as military goods, the preferential method of enhancing the transport network was to use railway links. This also coincided with the fact that road based automobiles were neither common nor highly appreciated in the nineteenth century. Instead, the railway networks of the era were highly preferred given the technical expertise in manufacturing and operating railway linkages. Another major factor that contributed to the growth of the railways in the era related to disposable incomes and the cost of early automobiles. Early automobi les were not only expensive to buy but were equally fiscally demanding in terms of operating and maintenance costs. The problem was compounded by the fact that the majority of people did not have the kinds of disposable incomes to buy and use road based vehicles as yet. In this scenario, it made far greater sense to set up railway linkages in order to enhance the overall transport infrastructure rather than concentrating on roads and automobiles. Vehement development of the railway networks continued throughout the nineteenth century and through the early to mid parts of the twentieth century around the world. Contemporary super powers and countries looking for economic development all looked towards large railway networks in order to support and sustain their economic growth. It is from this era that the British railway networks emerged and spanned nearly half the globe ranging from Africa to the Tibet plateau. In a similar manner, the United States was bent upon enlarging the exis ting railway network to connect the East Coast to the West Coast. A number of different strategies were adopted in order to provide impetus for the expansion of the existing railway network. Conditions in Germany and France were similar with Germany attempting to bridge the Middle East and Europe using a railway link

Civil Rights, Women, and Diversity (summary) Essay

Civil Rights, Women, and Diversity (summary) - Essay Example She hid her sexual orientation from her coworkers, though people outside work knew that she was a lesbian. After Waits had worked for a year, one day her supervisor found out that Waits was a lesbian. She declared her plans of firing Waits without offering her a sound reason for that. Waits testified to the Congress that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation not be allowed in the workplace. She worked in Texas that offered no protection to gay and lesbian employees unlike most of the other states. Since 1994, bills have been passed instructing the organizations to base their judgment of the employees solely on the basis of their performance. The enforcement of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would be a landmark achievement. However, this law faces extreme challenges from the religious groups and the moral conservatives that base the discrimination against homosexual employees on the religious and spiritual grounds. Advocates of the bill assert that all Americans sho uld be treated fairly and equally and solely be judged according to their performance. This fight constitutes the long history of struggle for the protection of employees’ civil rights. Slavery introduced the practice of discrimination in America. Civil rights were deemed more important than natural rights. Ratification of the US Constitution sanctioned slavery in five clauses. Congress passed constitutional amendments and civil rights acts after the Civil War to abolish slavery, but they were ineffective. Winning of the election by Hayes caused the racism to recede though it reasserted in the South in which the states adopted the Jim Crow laws. Mexican Americans, Chinese, and Japanese workers and others also faced discrimination like the African Americans. Both the American Creed and the laws had failed to abolish discrimination in the 19th and early 20th century. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 narrowed the 14th Amendment’s meaning and made it irrelevant. Ruling over th e Plessy v Ferguson case caused complete destruction of the 14th Amendment and the spread of Jim Crow laws followed. The Civil Rights Movement that was started in the late 1950s led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 whose Title VII prohibits any kind of discrimination in the workplace and enforces the disparate treatment theory has been structuring laws against discrimination till date. The overtly discriminatory signs at the workplace were pushed aside with the enforcement of this law. In the Griggs v. Duke Power case, the Supreme Court declared the requirement of diploma illegal. The EEOC gave the 80 per cent rule to define the unlawful disparate impact. This broadened the range of discrimination that Title VII could strike down. The harm caused to the black employees by past rejection laid ground for affirmative action. Executive Order 11246 is the most affirmative action’s origin. OFCCP enforced the Executive Order 11246 without establishing rigid goals of hiring for the co mpanies. OFCCP uses statistical tools to review the compliance. The Affirmative Action challenged the American Creed. Affirmative action spurred a legal debate that paralleled three basic ethical considerations of a broader debate in the society; utilitarianism, ethical theories of justice, and the ethical theories of rights. The population of working women has increased in the US. Laws offering protection from discrimination include but are not limited to The Civil Rights

Field trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Field trip - Essay Example In accordance with Jewish tradition, prayers should always occur in the entire community. Amidah, which is the third section of Shabbat service, forms the central point of Worship among Jews. During this section, the congregation normally engages in prayers and meditations. The word Amidah gives a description of prayers and the manner in which the Jews worship. Amidah has a small session for private prayers among its worshippers. Similar to any church service, the Shabbat also acknowledges rituals and their significance in worship. Consequently, Torah service forms the next section of Shabbat service. Torah service provides teachings on peace, justice, and truth in the society. In general, this section follows teachings of Moses as written in his five books. The last session of the Shabbat Service is concluding prayers where the whole congregation participates in recitation of Aleinu or Adoration (Abrams & Katherine 18). We chose Shabbat service as our field trip experience because of the perception that Jewish religion has unique philosophies and worship procedures. Majority of people in the society believe that Shabbat is different from other church services because of its restrictions and related philosophies. Consequently, attending the service would enable us to obtain philosophies and facts about the Shabbat Service. After attending the Shabbat Service, we were able to determine how philosophy influences the religion. According to the Jews, Shabbat Service must have five prayer sessions. All these sessions have different significance to the worshippers. For instance, Torah service teaches peace and justice in the community. In addition, the religion has a philosophy, which advocates for all members of the congregation to use the five holy books recommended by Moses to govern all rituals. Just like Christian services, the Shabbat service considers prayers as precious gifts from heaven. As a result, the Jewish considers Amidah as a special session of

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic Research Proposal

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic is Alcoholism - Research Proposal Example It is not only the media to blame for the radical directional change; the government has contributed to this course overwhelmingly by failing to enact stiffer laws to control alcohol consumption. By failing to launch massive anti-alcoholism campaigns, the government and the media have failed many families and individuals. The effect of alcoholism on families is immeasurable (Mezzasalma). Sander, when describing what became of their family when his father was enslaved by alcoholism says, â€Å""My brother became a rebel, my sister retreated to shyness†¦" (67). He further reiterates that what he considered â€Å"a private grief† was actually, â€Å"a public scourge† (138). As such, alcoholism qualifies to be a social problem that affects all the societal aspects, legal, economic, and political (Oshea 14). Quitting alcohol is a momentous task that requires everyone’s involvement and the government and the media cannot relent (Pittman 18). It is high time that all stakeholders should stand to be counted for doing what is right, regardless of the political implication, to fight alcoholism. Alcoholism is a monster that has destroyed many resourceful persons, broken many families, and cost lives and should be fought at all cost. Mezzasalma, Lorena. "Characteristics of Alcoholics Attending Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatmentà ¢ in Italy: A National Survey ." Oxford Journals | Medicine | Alcohol and Alcoholism. N.p., 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 3 May