Impact of Culture on International Business

Impact of Culture on International Business Doing business on the international plane presents many challenges because of a variety of factors which differ from one market to the other. These differences are basically informed by the environment of the host country, which is often times different from that at home. One of the environmental factors that present such a challenge is culture. Culture can be defined as complex construct that embodies a peoples knowledge, morals, art, beliefs, customs, laws and other capabilities gathered by a community over time (Clifton, 2004). The culture of the host country strongly impacts on the performance of a firm that engages in international business. Notable aspects of culture central to the conduct of international business include the social structure, religion, language and education. G4S, a company that has established itself in international business has had its fair share of challenges in this area. Social structure has to do with how society is socially organized. It could be looked at from the individual-group dimension, or from the social stratification dimension. Some societies consider an individual the pillar of social organization (Emerson, 2007). This is the scenario G4S encountered when it entered the American and most Western markets. The challenge here was how to instill a sense of teamwork among employees. It was an uphill task for managers who had been socialized to believe in the superiority of teamwork, as individuals compete against each other for results. On the Japanese market however, the firm found that emphasis was on group, rather than individual performance. Though this is said to be the driving force behind the companys success in Japan, it is vilified for imbedding creativity, and is touted as a stumbling block to dynamism. This, indeed, is a challenge the firm has had to deal with. Social stratification has to do with placing members of society in certain classes. There are those in the lower, middle and upper classes. Many times, this is borne out of ones family background, income or occupation. Those from the lower class only hope to move from that class to the upper one through a process called social mobility, which is in most cases done through education and job opportunities. When opportunities for mobility are suffocated, there is likely to be conflict between the classes; and in the job situation, between management and employees. Some societies have room for social mobility, while others do not. A country like Britain has less social mobility (Hill Jain, 2008, p. 66, 67). As a result, there is always simmering tension between management and workers, which the firm has had to deal with from time to time. When industrial disputes become frequent, the firm finds doing business in the country quite expensive. Such a problem is not common in America, where social mobility is easy. G4S operates in countries with various religious persuasions, which have an effect on its operations. In predominantly Christian (protestant) countries such as Britain, America and most of Africa, the spirit of entrepreneurship has helped expand the companys operations and profitability. Protestantism advocates for hard work and creation of wealth for Gods glory, but abstinence from worldly pleasures. Since the resources earned from working cannot be spend on leisurely pursuits, the only other option is to reinvest it in expanding the business (Hill Jain, 2008, p. 70). The Christian ethic, which is a cultural issue, is supportive of the entrepreneurial (capitalist) mindset. Doing business in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia is rather tricky. In the first place, the Islamic culture frowns upon charging interest on loan. Doing business in such an environment has been very expensive. The fact that adherents of Islam do not work on Fridays goes against the practice in other countr ies, and managers found it difficult making adjustments. The Islamic culture also favors market based systems and when they suspect one is making exorbitant profits, however justified, the establishment begins putting sanctions in the companys ways. This has hindered the company from making maximum profits from its investment, which is the hallmark of the capitalist culture from where the company originates. There have also been problems of negative perception of the company because of the historical West-Islamic conflict, making the firms operations difficult. When tensions between the two sides run high, sometimes the companys property is destroyed, or its products and services shunned by customers. This reduces the companys profitability. Operations in China where Confucianism advocates for individual connections rather than the rule of law have also been problematic. Business ethics have not been adhered to, making the firm lose out on opportunities for lack of connections, refe rred to as Guanxi (Goodrich, 2005). G4S once lost case where a company that had breached a contract was left unpunished because one the companys top executives was a son to a leading politician. Though this would appear to be unethical in most Western countries, it is perfectly normal in China, as the company later came to learn. For the sake of survival, G4S has now been forced to recruit well-connected local executives, and to enter partnerships with local companys belonging to senior government officials. This is normal in order in China. Most of the countries in which G4S operates have diverse linguistic backgrounds. This has posed major problems, especially in Saudi Arabia, where most people speak Arabic. Expatriate managers without the knowledge of Arabic have found it very hard to communicate when marketing the companys products and services. This has forced them to attend Arabic classes so as to make them perform better. Most African countries with a multiplicity of languages also pose problems of multiple cultures, which call for extensive training on the part of managers for these regions. Formal education determines the quality of skill, values, norms and the general socialization of individuals. G4S has had problems operating in countries such as Somalia and Rwanda in Africa, which have no proper system of formal education. In most cases, the firm has had to rely on expatriates to fill top management positions. References Clifton, J. (2004). Culture and International Business. New York: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Emerson, N. (2007). The Social Dimension of International Business. Beverly Hill: Sage Books. Goodrich, A. (2005). The Dynamics of Global Business. Chicago: Gift Book Publishers. Hill, C. W and Jain, A. K. (2008). International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. New Delhi. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. Impact of Culture on International Business Impact of Culture on International Business In this essay I am going critically to evaluate the impact of culture on the International Business. Culture is a term which could be defined in many ways. All the people have different attitudes and perceptions so when being asked what is culture for them , the answer will always have different aspects. Despite the we all believe we have impulsive knowledge on what culture mean defining it is more complex. According to Kroeber and Kluckhohns research culture may be defined in more than 160 ways. Best culture descriptions that were found during the research are that culture is. Different aspects of culture help different people to find the best field for them. But theres a case when culture affects the whole society not only individuals. According to Francis Fukuyama the most crucial area of modern life in which culture exercises a direct influence on domestic well-being and international order is the economy. Although economic activity is inextricably linked with social and political life, there is a mistaken tendency (â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦) to regard the economy as a facet of life with its own laws, separate from the rest of society. The comprehensive cultures impact on international business might be found in every international company as culture affects HRM , International marketing , supply chain , operations management , corporate strategies and especially way of doing business. On the other hand cultures influence may be found mainly in values , beliefs and behavior. We can simply view three cultural differences across values , beliefs and behavior (see Appendix 2) The main summary about culture we can make is that when comparing different cultures we can define 4 key assumptions. Cultures are not homogenous. Within every culture there are subcultures . For example the caste system in India, working class culture. Also place of residence. For example Basque people , French Canadian. Cultural heritage and its interpretation are very individual, so we cant assume that two people from one country will behave in similar way or to have common beliefs. Separation of cultural issues from economic and political is complex as all three factors interact to influence views and beliefs. Defining the degree of differences between cultures is not straightforward because recognition of differences is a subjective issue. As the level of international trade and travel increases cultures become increasingly associated and the cultural diffusion may alter the significance of national cultures. As we saw that culture influences beliefs , values and behavior , its likely that the culture affects also the management style. The variations of what authorizes the management are not different in black and white terms , because theres a cross-cultural understanding of the purpose of doing business and the nature of management task. However there are differences of emphasis , priority and understanding which may create a variety of styles and practice. In fact the differences can be found by separating countries in a cluster. According to Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions there are four kinds of them which are used in order to compare national cultures. Individualism versus collectivism Individual rights and freedoms are fundamental values in individualistic cultures.  Special emphasis is placed on personal career and remuneration.  Collectivistic cultures are built on a foundation of values: harmony between people in the group, the priority of group needs and interests.  Hofstede concludes that all rich countries are individualistic and poor collectivist.  In societies individualistic relationships can be planned and either party to terminate them if they replace them with a good offer from elsewhere.  In collectivist cultures are characterized by relationships of moral and emotional nature. Power Distance Each member of the organization defines different levels of owned by him and other members of the groups organizational status, prestige and level in the organizational hierarchy.  Various are the rights deriving from the hierarchical level.  Subordinates carry out the decisions of superiors in a different way.  Use categories: gender, inequality, privilege, social position, status, power, etc. podchineiie  Studies of Hofstede put Asian and South American countries together with Belgium, France, Italy and Spain in the group of countries with a high index of severity of hierarchical position.  Scandinavian countries and the U.S. have low values of this parametyr, Bulgaria is among the countries that are characterized by the greatest difference between managers and subordinates. Uncertainty avoidance There are societies in which the uncertainty of future worries people, and vice versa.  For those societies are characterized respectively high or low depending on the experts in solving problems as small or large mode of individual consciousness to deal with them.Societies that do not take the risk and fear of tomorrow, develop pluralism of opinions and are willing to deal with individual problems.  In other societies, people are fighting for the future, they are nervous and aggressive.  They feel threatened by the world around them because they avoid the risk.  Hence the characteristics of the crop in their respective organizations: subordinates seek clear instructions and managers, preferring more rules and laws.  Bulgaria is among the countries in which people feel moderately stressed, are more conservative beliefs and value safety. Masculinity v femininity G. Hofstede defines masculinity as the extent to which dominant values in society are considered aggressive, pursuing the goals by all means.  The orientation is towards money and possession of property.  Cultures with a feminine nature, appreciate the relationship between people, caring for others, overall quality of life.   Dimension masculinity femininity is important to determine the methods of reasoning in the job, the choice of approaches to solving nl most complex tasks of conflict resolution.In Table.  5.5.  reflected the consequences for organizations of prevailing masculinity or femininity in the national culture (adapt. 3, 5, 12, 15 and 18). Depending on national cultures are formed organizational value systems and behavior.  Large transnational corporations are constantly confronted with the problem of national cultures, assessed the compatibility of cultures, predict the development of their interaction and assign them (incorporate).   So for every businessperson that is going to deal for a first time with a specific country can easily to look at the clusters (see Appendix 3 , fig 1) and to get an idea whit what kind of culture hes facing and how to deal. These clusters show that theres a level of cultural attraction between groups of nations so its easier to make a general understanding of management practice. But there are danger s of making groupings of countries. The detail of how people behave in certain situations must be discovered by own experience and discussions with people who have already worked with the particular country. Although having an understanding of a nations characteristics at a good level is very useful in international business because in different parts of the world theres a different management styles and because each of the main business factors are affected by the culture and cultural differences. When a company is creating its international strategy , it should consider where and what is going to sell , also to evaluate if the product will be accepted , because the future of the products success depends on the cultural understanding of the people who are going to buy it. For example for a company selling pork meat will be impossible to sell in Islamic countries because of the religion restrictions. Also staff should be employed in a variety of adequacy in the foreign locations. So human resource management need to be sensitive to any cultural need that might to individual countries. Similarly if a company wants to establish overseas plants , the culture and cultural difference can easily affect the way of production and content and format of any financial reports produced to report the firms performance. Its important to look how culture affects the operations management , international marketing , human resource management and finance functions. Impact of culture on International Marketing Its clear that the cultural differences across the world offers not only challenges but also opportunities for the international marketing. When being on a business trip its interesting to face products and facts that might be regarded as strange . For example advertisements of well-known brands completely different than those ones at home , or even opening hours for shops. All of those simple facts are of a great importance for marketing managers and pose potential threats for them when developing a strategy. When a company which is going to expand overseas is developing its strategy there are four alternatives for it: selling the product without changes on international markets. modifying products for different countries or regions. developing new products for foreign markets. incorporating all differences in a single product and introducing a global product Having categorized cultural groupings and cultural characteristics , managers are able to seek new overseas markets to expand their firms , to sell more goods , and to raise profits. Even culture might be suggested as a tool for marketing segmentation because if the culture in the target country is similar to the culture in the existing markets , its a precondition that selling the product in the target country might be successful. Products sold on foreign markets are influenced by the local behavior, tastes, attitudes and traditions in each market. The Coca Cola Companys attempt to sell Diet  Coke product on the Japanese market was not successful because the Japanese do not  consider themselves overweight and Japanese women do not want to admit they are  dieters turning to products whose label specifies that. The company was forced to  change the product name in Coke Light, and the promotion emphasized keeping in  shape by consuming the product, and not losing weight. Goods intended for consumers are more likely to suffer changes because they need to be adopted to meet the customers expectation in the target market and to meet the economic conditions of it. There are many examples of international firms that adjust their products to meet the specific expectations of the overseas markets. For example, McDonalds was forced to remove their menus including pork and beef meat and to create menus especially for the Indian market. The company has also developed rice-based  menus in China, started selling beer in Germany, wine in France, and in Japan  the character Ronald McDonald was called Donald McDonald to be easier to  pronounce by the Japanese. Another cultural issue that is effecting the international business is the price because it needs to match exactly the level of economic development in the target country. McDonalds is an exact example of that. When McDonalds opened in India , the company wasnt forced only to remove the beef and pork menus but also to reduce the prices of all goods which were sold in the restaurants. But still despite the fall in prices recent statistics show that McDonalds in India raised their profits by 8,9%. Human Resource Management In every company the HRM Manager is in charge to care for recruiting and training staff , working methods and time. For every company dealing across the world , its very likely to have staff of mixed nationalities which could lead to cultural confounding. When recruiting staff , some cultures will apply more conducted approach. For example the approach will be based on accurate qualification for the job and also test in order to asses the potential ability of the candidates. Other cultures will act differently by applying more easygoing approach. For example this approach is based on education, personal recommendation or employer networks. A main concept that is also relevant to the HRM is Hofstedes concept of power distance. Its relevant because its related to mans attitudes to hierarchy and also the way in which this might be translated into different ranges of pay levels of the highest and the lowest in the company. For example in France which Hofstede defined in the Power Distance group , theres a great gap between lowest and highest paid employee while in contrast the more collectivist and low power distance countries the gap is much smaller. Finance In order a company to pursue its goals and objectives it must be ensured with sufficient funds. Also need to be monitored if funds are used efficiently and correctly , if financial performance is reported to then management and shareholders. These are the main functions of the finance within every business. But elements mainly influenced by culture are sources of finance and reporting practice. Sources that might be used for companies expanding vary between different countries , as sources reflect not only on the political economy of the countries but also on their state of economic and financial development. For example in countries as japan and Germany usual form of sourcing business is by having loan from a bank while in the USA and UK businesses rely more on raising money by selling equity shares on the stock market. In order to expand overseas , companies may choose to find the money from the host or home country or even from third country. For example, when McDonalds decided to open their first restaurant in Moscow in 1990 during the Soviet Union. The company has used a joint venture with the Moscow City Council. Despite all the funds came from the franchisor from Canada and the US headquarters , the deal was to pay to the City Council in order to be allowed to operate in Moscow. So the agreement reflected the Soviet/Russian political system where business and state a re closely connected. So its fair to say that the financial arrangements were partially influenced by culture. Similarly there isnt an unified approach for reporting financial results by annual reports. For example nations as Germany , Italy and France use continental approach and is heavily influenced by tax regulations. The reports information is designed to allow the tax authorities and government to compute and monitor the liability. While Australia , USA and UK use Anglo-Saxon approach. Its assumed that the shareholders are the main users and the information provided in the report allows them to asses the companys performance and their investments performance. These differences are of a great importance for international companies because when they enter the international market and build their branches they will be challenged to agree to the local terms and rules. Also the financial information from all the branches should be combined in addition to create consolidated accounts. Common practice for international companies is to create unified reporting system based on home countrys rules and terms. So then the international branches use this system in order to prepare their financial reports. After reports are finished then the local staff in the international branches reworks the reports in order to meet the local regulations. Appendix 1 shared patterns of behavior (Mead) ; Collective mental programming (Hofstede); A set of base assumptions shared solution to universal problemsâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ handed down from one generation to the next ( Schein) ; The essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values (Krober and Kluckhohn)

The Apache And Christian Creation Stories Are Unique Religion Essay

The Apache And Christian Creation Stories Are Unique Religion Essay The Apache and Christian creation stories are unique and interesting in their own ways. Long ago, there were people in the United States before the European settlers. They were Native Americans, people whose hearts and souls were one with the land and surrounding nature, the Apache. The Apache people had a unique and well developed society which included every aspect of life. One of the most interesting aspects of the Apache is their creation story. In the Apache creation story, nothing existed at the beginning; there was no earth or anything for that matter, only darkness shrouded everywhere. From the darkness appeared a thin disc, one side yellow and the other side white, suspended in midair. Inside the disc sat a small bearded man, who was called Creator. In Apache religion there is one main Creator, Ussen, and then lesser gods, making them have a total of four Gods thus making the Apache people polytheistic. The Creator found a Girl without Parents sitting on a cloud asking about the Earth. There were also four sacred colors, black, blue, yellow, and white which have guided the Apachs in their prayer to the Creator. The four colors symbolize the colors of the threads Tarantula used to pull and stretch the earth. During creation, the Creator made the gods, heavens, earth, plants, and animals all from his sweat. The creator sent a lesser God named Lightning-Maker to encircle the world, and he returned with three uncivilized creatures, two girls and a boy. These creatures had no eyes, ears, hair, mouths, noses, or teeth. They had arms and legs, but no fingers or toes. The three creatures were placed inside a sweathouse created by Girl without Parents. They came out of the sweathouse and the Creator then gave each of them fingers, toes, mouths, eyes, ears, noses and hair. Creator named the boy, Sky-Boy, to be chief of the Sky-People. One girl he named Earth-Daughter, to take charge of the earth and its crops. The other girl he named Pollen-Girl, and gave her ch arge of health care for all Earth-People. The Creator thought that it would be a fun idea to create animals, birds, trees, and hills to cover the earth. Like many other religions, the Apache religion has a creation story that includes a flood. After the flood was over, the Creator left and put Lightning-Rumbler, in charge of clouds and water. The Creator left Sky-Boy in charge of the Sky-People. The Earth-Daughter was left in charge of all crops and Earth-People. Pollen-Girl was in charge of the health and guidance of everyone. The Christian theory of creation is unique in its own way as well. The Christian theory states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. When God created Light, he saw that the light was good; so he separated the light from the darkness. The light was called Day, and the darkness was called Night. This was the first day of creation. The firmament that God created from water was called Heaven. Then evening and morning were created, this was the second day of creation. The water was gathered in one place so that dry land appeared, the dry land was called Earth, and the gathered water was called Seas. God then made the vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit, this was the end of the third day. On the fourth day, God made two great lights, a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night; he also made the stars. On the fifth and sixth days, God created the creatures of the Earth, sea, and sky and told them to multiply. God created man in his own image, in the image, he created male and female. God blessed them, and told them to be fruitful and multiply. He also told them to command all of the earth; and he gave them green plants for food. God blessed them and that was the end of the sixth day. God blessed the seventh day and rested from all his work. These creation stories are the backbone of each of the Christian and Apache belief systems. The Apache and Christian belief systems include a variety of characters, which are present in the creation stories. There is but only one God involved in the Christian creation story therefore making Christianity a monotheistic religion. The Apache creation story involves multiple figures; the Creator and the lesser Gods making this a polytheistic faith. These characters have either helped the divine being create the universe or they were created by the divine being to take care of the Earth. The Creator in the Apache myth is depicted as a small man with a beard. This can be compared to God in the Christian creation theory. Both are depicted as old males. These elderly male figures may represent wisdom and knowledge. In the Apache story, the Creator was the Supreme Being that is in charge of everything. There were also lesser Gods that helped the Creator create the Earth, while in the Christian theory, God created everything by himself. Although the God in the Christian creation stor y does get tried on the seventh day of creation and needs rest, he is not anthropomorphic. The Creator in the Apache story is considered to be anthropomorphic. The Creator displays humanlike characteristics, for instance, he was sweating throughout the whole creation time period. In the Apache creation story, there were many figures involved in the creation of the universe, while in Christianity there was only one God that created the universe. A very prominent concept that stood out in the Apache creation myth is the fact that there were animals involved in the creation of the universe. Animals like hummingbirds and tarantulas played a vital part in the creation of the universe. The fact that animals aided in the creation of the universe, is reflected in the actual beliefs of the Apache people. The Apache believe in nagualism and animism. They believe that a human being has the power to magically turn him or herself into an animal form. They also believe that that souls or spirits exist not only in humans but also in animals, plants, and other parts of the natural environment. Followers of the Christian faith do not believe in nagualism as this belief is thought to be a primitive practice. Animals are considered sacred to the Apache, so there sacredness may be because of the roles the animals played in the creation of the universe. Animals do not seem as significant in the Christian faith, maybe this because animals were actually created by God and did not assist in the creation of the universe. The use of numbers in the Apache and the Christian creation stories is very prominent. The number four is considered to be sacred to the Apache. During the creation of the universe, the Apache Creator always said things four times, and he clapped and rubbed his hands together four times. There were also a total of four Gods that mixed their sweat together to create a bean which eventually became the earth. The tarantula spun black, blue, yellow, and white cords and pulled them in four direction; east, south, west, and north. The number four was a significant part of the Apache creation story. The number four is still considered sacred to the Apache. During rituals and dances, they sing all their songs and prayers in sets of four; all rites last four nights. In the Christian belief, it took seven days to create the universe. This can be related to the amount of days we have in a week. In the creation myth, God hallowed on the seventh day and worked the other six days. In our modern wo rld, Sunday -the seventh day of the week- is supposed to be for rest, just like in the Christian creation myth. The number seven is also important in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It seems that numerology was so important that representing an event or series of events with the number 7 helped prove that the story was true. The number seven also means control. The numerology that appeared in the creation stories reflects belief of the respective creed.

Lowering the Drinking Age to 18 :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major controversial issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, drink, get into bars, and drink illegally. As a teen I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen; the most obvious reason is too many people are drinking before they are twenty-one. Liquor stores, bars, and clubs all want to make money and if they can get away with selling to underage teens then they will. A study done by the Academic Search Premier agrees that, ?By now it is obvious that the law has not succeeded in preventing the under-21 group from drinking? (Michael Smith 1). There would be a lot of benefits to having the drinking age change to eighteen. The amount of binge drinking would lessen, and the out rage to drink would also decrease. According to Smith, ?Reports of binge drinking come from all types of campuses across the country. In 1992, researchers reported that more college?s students were drinking to get drunk than their counterparts a decade earlier, and one recent study reported an increase, just since 1994, in the number of students who drink deliberately to get drunk? (Smith 1). I interviewed my friend Shelly Mitchell who recently turned twenty-one and asked her how she felt about finally being legal to drink. She quoted, ?It is not as exciting to drink anymore, I mean I still like to go out with my friends to bars, but the fun is all over, in high school and college it was so exciting trying to get alcohol by using a fake ID.? All of these factors could be changed by lowering the drinking age to eighteen. In a study done by the Harvard School of Public Health, binge drinking is defined as five drinks in a row for boys and four drinks for girls. And when they did a survey they found that 44% of the students attending Harvard binge drink (Jeffrey Kluger 1).

Essay --

458 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC, 20510 12/9/2013 Dear Senator Bennet, Being a senator of Colorado, and a representative of the people, you have the duty to listen to what people have to say. There are many concerns that should be taken more seriously than others and should be brought to the Senates attention. Most people are concerned about the unfair and convoluted income tax laws in our country that can be easily eliminated with the application of a flat tax on income. With the tax rate that is in effect right now, there are so many flaws and loop holes that the system is easily manipulated. The rich do not pay their fair share of taxes, because they have found ways to avoid them. The middle class looks for ways around paying taxes through things like tax breaks. And the poor ends up paying fewer taxes then what they wind up getting back in the end, giving them no incentive to make a lot of money. If a person works hard and gets a raise that will put him in a higher tax bracket, he could actually be making less money with the raise. Also, the government constantly looks for new ways to tax in order to pay for education, military, health care, and more. To consider what's right and what's wrong, compare sales tax and income tax. Say the sales tax in your state is 10%. Your "taxable amount" is the total of all that you purchase. You go to the store and by something for $20, you will pay 10%, or $2 tax. Say you buy 2 of the same thing, $40 total; you pay $4 in tax. Then you buy a candy bar for a $1, and use a dime to pay the tax. Nobody likes the 10% sales tax, but nobody complains they all paid their fair share. This is how flat tax works, everyone pays the same rate. If sales tax were like income tax, first, ... ... "This reform will decrease tax evasion, and encourage people to meet their obligations to the state." Flat tax has been proven many times over to be fair, and should be implemented. Simplifying the tax code is beneficial to people and government. So why are our litigators avoiding this solution? Please consider this proposal, it is what this country needs. Sincerely, Evan Hunchar Citations "Debating the Pros and Cons of a Flat Tax." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 03 May 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Mitchell, Daniel. "Eliminate Tax Brackets and Complicated Forms With a Flat Tax." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 12 Apr. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. "Tax Day 2011 -- We Need a Flat Tax More Than Ever." Fox News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. Ulbrich, Holley. "Flat Tax Is Class Warfare." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 12 Apr. 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America :: American America History

Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the United States in the early part of the nineteenth century prompted his work Democracy in America, in which he expressed the ability to make democracy work. Throughout his travels Tocqueville noted that private interest and personal gain motivated the actions of most Americans, which in turn cultivated a strong sense of individualism. Tocqueville believed that this individualism would soon "sap the virtue of public life" (395) and create a despotism of selfishness. This growth of despotism would be created by citizens becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become aimed at the satisfaction of individual needs, rather than the greater good of society. Alexis de Tocqueville viewed participation in public affairs, the growth of associations and newspapers, the principle of self-interest properly understood, and r eligion as the only means by which American democracy could combat the effects of individualism. Given that despots have every interest in keeping people isolated, the individualism resulting from equality makes despotism a great danger to equality. "Despotism... sees in the separation among men the surest guarantee of its continuance, and it usually makes every effort to keep them separate" (399). Exercising freedom through participation in public affairs is therefore extremely vital because it gives people a personal interest in thinking about others in society. Local self-governments are important because they draw people together, and it is therefore more likely that they will exercise their liberty. Tocqueville states that "as soon as a man begins to treat of public affairs in public, he begins to perceive that he is not so independent of his fellow men as he had first imagined, and that in order to obtain their support he must often lend them his cooperation" (400). When people act together they frequently form dependencies on one another, especially when they are working for the good of the entire community. Another means by which Tocqueville believes it is possible to contest individualism is to form associations and write newspapers. He believes that like local governments, associations help people to realize their dependence on their fellow citizens and take interest in public affairs. It is crucial to have institutions and civic duties which force people to look beyond their own interests and think about the problems of the community.

Personal Reflection of Anne Frank’s House Essay

Personal Reflection on Anne Frank’s House I chose to write a personal reflection on the Anne Frank’s House tourist attraction in Amsterdam because I have two daughters. As a parent, I want the best for them and most importantly, their safety. I would do the exact thing what Anne’s father had done for them. Otto Frank had to move to the Netherlands when the anti-semitism in Germany was growing. Though it took seven years for their family to be reunited in the Netherlands, he successfully got them out of Germany. My late father did the same for our family. When I was 13 years old, I followed my parents to migrate to Ecuador. We were not escaping anti-semitism but my father knew that we were not safe in our country due to the worsening of the economy and the rise of unrest in Cambodia. Like Anne Frank, being in a new country I started missing the place where I grew up and the friends I had left behind. I recall writing many journals when I got homesick. This was the only way I can re-live the life I had once before. Now that I have a family of my own, and if I find myself with the same predicament like of Otto Frank. I will find a better place for my family. I want to visit Anne Frank’s house because during my youth I read her book. I was completely absorbed in the world of this creative and articulate girl who put her experiences in writing while in hiding. Since I have read the diary it will be very interesting to see it in real life. I have passed down Anne Frank’s story and her book to my daughters and when I get the chance, I will take my family to visit the Netherlands and tour the Anne Frank historical house. Anyone with some knowledge of World War II knows the story of Anne Frank and her famous diary. A visit to Amsterdam will give me an opportunity to see the location where young Anne and her family were holed up in virtual silence for two years, along with other families hoping to escape the hatred of the Nazi regime. The great takeaway about visiting the house will be a constant reminder on how fortunate I am as an American whose freedom is not in peril. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a family living in the rooms like what Anne’s family had to experience, with the constant threat of being given away and sent to concentration camps. Unfortunately, this did eventually happen and only Anne’s father Otto survived the war. During the first part of Anne Frank’s House presentation, I was only interested in visiting the place because one of my classmates mentioned, â€Å"the former hiding place of the Frank family is one of the most popular attractions in Amsterdam and many tourists declare it to be one of the most touching places they’ve ever visited.† But as soon as they got into details about the house, I was no longer interested in visiting the house as a tourist but as a person with a purpose. I wanted to experience and see first hand with my daughters how Anne tried to overcome their harsh living conditions while writing her journals that eventually sparked a lot of interest all over the world. As mentioned from the presentations, the living quarters comprised of three upper floors of a rear annex to Mr. Frank’s larger office building that is reached via steep, narrow flights of stairs. The room is small, dark and unfurnished, the Nazi captors having emptied them of furniture and most possessions as was customary during that time. The museum set up a place where the visitors can see some of Anne’s diary and read them. I can imagine myself picking up the diary, reading it and being absorbed with her eloquent stories that inspired and touched many people. What makes Anne’s diary so special is the way she wrote it. In her diary, in spite of the cruel hardship she and her family were enduring, Anne maintained a sense of optimism. Even with the evil that surrounded her, she wrote in her diary â€Å"despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart†. Because of her incredible words, Anne is remembered as a girl of tremendous courage and hope, an inspiration to all. I firmly believe that the Dutch people were somehow ashamed of their involvement on the holocaust atrocities. And one of the defining moments to reinvigorate the Dutch and Jewish people together after the war was to pay tribute to the people who were stripped of their dignity and eventually led to their death. The perfect person for such a tribute was this young girl named Anne Frank. Even though a lot of bad things have happened in Netherlands during the dark times in 1945, today that history has never been forgotten. Preserving the Anne Frank’s house and making it a museum is a constant reminder on how a young girl touched many lives with her diary. And today it is evident from the millions of tourists that visit Amsterdam that Anne Frank’s house is a must-visit.

The Street

In Anne Petry’s novel, The Street, the wind wreaks havoc on the city and puts the city and its pedestrians in an overwhelming and chaotic state. The wind is the antagonist in the story as it tortures the pedestrians with its pesky ways and coldness. The wind establishes a negative relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting and Pettry’s use of literary devices aptly displays this relationship. Petry starts out by letting the reader know there as â€Å"a cold November wind†.This wind terrorizes the street by blowing â€Å"bits of paper to dancing high in the air† such as â€Å"old envelopes† and â€Å"newspapers†. Pedestrians were â€Å"bent double† as they tried to walk through the wind and street to â€Å"offer the least possible exposed surface to its violent assault†. This use of imagery begins to give the reader an understanding of how the relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting will play out.Th e selection of detail that the reader is given further shows how the wind is a negative element in the novel. The wind â€Å"drove most of the people off the street in the block between Seventh and Eighth Avenues†. This leads the reader to believe the wind is fierce and that one shouldn’t try to withstand it. The wind also blew more than just paper around, it blew things such as â€Å"dirt†, â€Å"grime†, â€Å"dust†, â€Å"chicken bones and pork-chop bones†. All of these things blowing around can definitely bring a city to a state of chaos.These details also enhance the urban setting give allow the reader to understand what the experience is like for Lutie Johnson. Petry’s use of figurative language also made the reader’s understanding of the urban setting more pertinent. The wind was â€Å"fingering its way along the curb† and the wind also â€Å"wrapped newspaper around their feet†, entangling the pedestrians a nd forcing them to bend down and remove the newspaper with their hands. This shows the reader how the wind has power over the pedestrians and Lutie Johnson.Petry’s use of personification really makes the relationship between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting more apparent. Petry personifies the wind by stating, â€Å"The wind lifted Lutie Johnson’s hair away from the back of her neck† and â€Å"the cold fingers of the wind touched the back of her neck†. This use of personification makes the reader feel like their experiencing the tortures of the wind for themselves with Lutie. The wind also took on the role of a bully by making a simple task very difficult.Lutie Johnson was looking for a room to stay in but she couldn’t read the sign with the wind blowing. â€Å"Each time she thought she had the sign in focus, the wind pushed it away†. In conclusion, the urban setting has a negative relationship with Lutie Johnson. The wind made everything hectic and overwhelming. The wind kept antagonizing Lutie while she looked for a place to stay and all she could do was try to deal with it as best as she could.