Wild Scenes Essay Example for Free

Wild Scenes Essay Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes is a thought-provoking, often amusing collection of stories from within jazz’s inner circles, told by and about some of the genre’s leading figures. While not a history of jazz, it gives readers some insights to how jazz artists worked, lived, bonded, and coped with an America in which many were still outsiders. The book’s forty-three chapters (expanded from the original 1990 edition) describe the life jazz musicians shared, offering insights into a rather exclusive, unconventional circle of performing artists. The numerous anecdotes are categorized by chapters, gathering related tales and moving from a general overview of jazz life to anecdotes about individuals, like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman. Essentially, Crow creates a context in which jazz musicians lived, and then places individual musicians within it, giving readers a better understanding of how they functioned in this rarified climate. For example, the volume opens with â€Å"Wild Scenes,† which Crow says describes how â€Å"the individuality of jazz musicians combines with the capricious world in which they try to make a living† (Crow 3). The brief chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, giving glimpses of the unconventional world jazz musicians inhabited (which explains to some degree their relationship to society at large). â€Å"The Word ‘Jazz’† contains attempts to explain the origins of the genre’s name, and â€Å"Inventions† offers accounts of how certain innovations occurred (such as Dizzy Gillespie’s distinctive bent trumpet), giving the reader a sense of history though the work is not an orthodox history per se. Many of the stories contained in Jazz Anecdotes convey the musicians’ camaraderie and warmth toward each other, as well as each other’s idiosyncrasies. Others convey how difficult and often arbitrary the jazz lifestyle often was. â€Å"Hiring and Firing† demonstrates how unstable many musicians’ careers were, rife with disputes over money or dismissals for their personal quirks. (For example, Count Basie fired Lester Young for refusing to participate in recording sessions occurring on the 13th of any month. ) â€Å"Managers, Agents, and Bosses† offers a glimpse into the seamier underside of jazz, where dishonest managers and mobsters often trapped jazz performers in unfair contracts or worse. Though jazz musicians appear to inhabit a special world, Crow does not discuss jazz in a social vacuum, tying it to social phenomena like race relations. In â€Å"Prejudice,† the tales take a more serious tone by showing how black jazz artists faced abundant racism, particularly in the South. However, Crow notes that â€Å"Jazz helped to start the erosion of racial prejudice in America . . . [because] it drew whites and blacks together into a common experience† (Crow 148). Jazz artists dealt with racism in various ways – Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday stood up to it while Zutty Singleton accepted it. Meanwhile, even white musicians like Stan Smith angered both races – whites for performing with blacks, and blacks for â€Å"intruding on their music† (Crow 152). The final chapters focus on individual artists, illustrating the greats’ personalities. Louis Armstrong emerges as earthy and good-hearted; Bessie Smith as strong and willful but ultimately self-destructive; Fats Waller is an impish pleasure-seeker given to excellent music but poor business decisions; and Benny Goodman as gifted but tight-fisted and controlling. Taken as a whole, Jazz Anecdotes offers a look at jazz’s human side, including its foibles, genius, camaraderie, crookedness, and connection to an American society from which it sometimes stood apart. Its legendary figures are depicted as gifted, devoted artists who enjoyed hedonism, companionship, and particularly independence. If any single thing stands out in this book, it is the latter; for the figures in this work, jazz meant creativity and freedom, which they pursued with equal vigor and vitality. Crow, Bill. Jazz Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Creon and Antigone †Victims of Fate Essay Example for Free

Creon and Antigone – Victims of Fate Essay Sophocles put a lot of layers of meaning in his Creon and Antigone. For ancient Greeks these great tragedies were not only an entertainment, but they also possessed a lot of philosophical meaning which made people think about many different problems. When reading Sophocles’ play Antigone we get into a difficult life situation together with main characters, think about their choices and possible consequences of their mistakes. We can see two different systems of beliefs, two different worlds presented by two main characters Creon and Antigone. Creon is a carrier of the state power; he expresses obedience to his fate and obedience to the state laws. He is driven by the burden of responsibilities put on him by his high position. We see that he is ready to forget about his feelings and emotions in order to perform his duties. â€Å"Kings, my girl, have other things to do than to surrender themselves to their private feelings† he says to Antigone during their talk (Sophocles 42). He can not influence his destiny and it seems that everything is predetermined for him. Antigone is a complete antipode of Creon. She is lively, impulsive, enthusiastic and counts on her feelings and emotions. She can break the limits of the state laws and even does not feel guilty for that. â€Å"I didn’t say â€Å"yes†. I can say no to anything I think vile, and I don’t have to count the cost. But because you said yes, all that you can do, for all your crown and trappings, and your guards- all that you can do is to have me killed† (Sophocles 45). She is driven by completely different motives and her inner truth is more important to her than formal laws and regulations. She makes decisions, which determine her fate. She influences her own life and people around her. Antigone seems free and determine. She makes her decisions and is ready to take responsibility for them. We can find a lot of things, which unite them if we look deeper than just on the surface of the play. Creon and Antigone do not seem so different if we study their personalities better. They both are stubborn; they both are directed by their goals and do not want to step aside. They have different values and look for different things in life but both are ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of these values. Creon recognizes himself in young and passionate Antigone. â€Å"Don’t think me fatuous if I say that I understand you; and that at your age I should have done the same thing. A moment ago, when we were quarreling, you said I was drinking in your words. I was. But it wasn’t you I was listening to; it was a lad named Creon†¦he was thin and pale, as you are. His mind too was filled with thoughts of self-sacrifice† (Sophocles 50). He knows that they are alike, were alike if to be precise. But the burden of state responsibilities has changed his thoughts and deadened his feelings. His ideals were replaced by the obedience to laws and higher power. Like in the most Greek tragedies Creon is dependant on the will of whimsical gods and has little choice. The only his choice is whether to follow his destination or not. Creon makes his choice and obediently follows his fate. Antigone challenges not only social norms, but also her own destiny and will of gods. Antigone easily breaks with her beloved sister when she refuses to help her. She does not forgive her even when Ismene comes to prison and wants to share Antigone’s guilt. The same thing does Creon, when refuses to listen to the advice of his old and loyal friend Polyneices. Both, Antigone and Creon could sacrifice their dear people and just forget about them in the fight for their ideals. Both, Creon and Antigone have their own moral standards and live according to them. Works Cited Sophocles: The Complete Greek Tragedies. Edited by David Grene. 2 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1954-57.

Wonder Woman Comics: History and Development

Wonder Woman Comics: History and Development Wonder Woman Costume For over 60 years, Wonder Woman has filled the pages of her magazine with adventures ranging from battling Nazis, to declawing human-like Cheetahs. Her exploits thrilled and inspired many young girls, including Gloria Steinem. Through all of this, she has had to pilot her invisible jet through territories that her male counterparts have never had to. She is constantly pulled in two directions; her stories must be entertaining and none threatening to the male status quo, while simultaneously furthering her as the original symbol of Girl Power. She is praised for being an icon of strength to women everywhere, but chastised for wearing a skimpy costume and tying men up, as if she were no more than a male fantasy. No comic book character has had to endure as much scrutiny as Wonder Woman. Thats because Wonder Woman represents an entire gender, at a time of important social flux. Although she was created by a man to influence a male audience, Wonder Woman has evolved into an important sym bol of the feminist movement. An Amazon is born Shortly after Superman made his appearance in 1939, a noted psychologist by the name of William Moulton Marston wrote an article in Family Circle magazine, praising comic books. According to Les Daniels in Wonder Woman: The Complete History (Chronicle Books, 2000, pp. 22-24), his article caught the eye of M.C. Gains of DC Comics. Gains was so impressed by the article, he hired Marston into a new position at DC Comics. Within a year, at the urging of his wife, Marston set out to create a female superhero. By February 1941, Marston handed in his first script for ‘Suprema: The Wonder Woman.’(We owe a debt of thanks to whoever dropped the Suprema.) Marston created a unique heroine, based loosely on Greek Mythology. Diana was the Princess of Paradise Island, a mystical place inhabited by Amazons. Her mother, Hippolyte (sometimes referred to as Hippolyta), Queen of the Amazons, wanted a child and petitioned the Goddesses of Olympus to give her one. She was instructed to sculpt a child from clay. When she was done, the goddesses imbued the statue with life. Diana was raised as the princess of her nation, until one day, an aircraft carrying one Steve Trevor crashed off the shores of the island. Diana rescued him and nursed him back to health. The Goddesses decreed a contest should be held to find an Amazon champion to return Trevor to the United States and also help with the war effort. As the princess, Diana was forbidden to enter the contest by her mother, the Queen. Diana disguised herself and won. Reluctantly, Hippolyte awarded Diana the costume of the champion and sent her on her way, and a legend was born. Marston had said his aim with Wonder Woman was to influence a male audience with the notion that females could be just as powerful as men, through the use of their own gifts. A reoccurring theme is the dominance of women over men, by teaching them loving submission. The reality is that the early issues of Wonder Woman almost always contained scenes of bondage. Wonder Womans one weakness was to have her bracelets chained together by a man. Many, many men took advantage of that. Because he was on the team that developed the first polygraph, Marston gave Wonder Woman a magic lasso that would enable her to extract the truth from its victim or make them susceptible to her suggestions. Of course, they had to be tied up. If Wonder Woman wasnt chained up, she was busy tying someone else up to do her bidding. When you combine that with a seductive costume, (The costume created such a ruckus, DC Comics editor, Dorothy Roubicek wrote a memo to Gains suggesting the costume be given a more Greek tunic look. (Daniels, pp. 62-63)) the early Wonder Woman comes off as a fetishistic fantasy. That may be one of the biggest reasons it was such huge success with a male audience. Artist H.G. Peter illustrated Wonder Woman for Marstons entire tenure on the book. Although he was required to delineate Wonder Woman in bondage motifs and other sundry escapades, his art was not overly sexual. This was one of the factors which helped establish Wonder Woman among female fans. She was strong and athletic, but without an unreal body image. Many of her adventures pitted her against a real life enemy, the Nazis. This was World War II, after all, and women were dong their part to help the war effort. Wonder Woman was a symbol of the emergence of women in active roles. But, even before the war was over, Marston began introducing costumed villains. Interestingly enough most were female. Dr. Poison, the very first costumed villain, was actually a Japanese princess, disguised as a man. As her Rogues Gallery grew, it became more populated with women, than men; The Cheetah, Queen Clea, and Giganta, just to name a few. It seemed that Wonder Woman would be relegated to fighting her own gender. It was another way that she could be interpreted as powerful, without upsetting the status quo. She was rarely seen as someone who could overpower a strong male villain. Wonder Woman did continue to be an important symbol in those early days. She was the only female superhero in the Justice Society of America (A forerunner of the Justice League of America), although she was relegated to the office of secretary. Again, it was a large stride while being subservient to the male heroes in the book. You can almost see her serving coffee at JSA meetings. Her magazine debuted a backup feature called Wonder Women of History in which an important female historical figure was profiled. It seemed that the intention of her being a symbol of feminism were there, while the actions of the stories painted a different, more sexual picture. This is a contradiction that survives even into today. The Silver Age After Marstons death, Robert Kanigher took over the duties on Wonder Woman. In a rare occurrence, Kanigher served as both writer and editor for over 20 years. Gone were the Nazis, and many of Wonder Womans original foes. In their place, Kanigher began writing stories centered on Wonder Womans romantic life. In Sensation Comics #97 (May-June 1950), Wonder Woman becomes the romance editor of a womens magazine. Instead of battling evil villains, Wonder Woman herself became the center of conflict, as characters like Bird-Man and Mer-Man vied for the affections of the Amazon Princess. Other times, she would have a whole story dedicated to explaining to poor Steve Trevor that they could not marry until her services as a hero were no longer required. It seemed that Wonder Woman had been relegated to the role of the maiden fending off numerous suitors, as if she were a southern belle. It is interesting to note that during this time, Wonder Women of History was replaced with a feature called Marriage a la Mode, celebrating the marriage customs of different cultures. Wonder Woman of the 1950s was in a flux, just like American women. They had been asked to do their part during the war, but when the men came home, it was time to go back into the kitchen. The problem was most women realized an untapped potential to be more than a wife and mother. This would show up in the form of modern feminism in the next decade. It must be pointed out that most of the supporting cast was made up of other women; (Hippolyte, other Amazons, and even a younger version of Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl) but the stories were still centered on marriage and boyfriends. The artistic team of Ross Andru and Mike Esposito hiked Wonder Womans star-spangled shorts a bit, but still the art was very respectful to the female body. No larger than life breasts or pencil thin waists. Wonder Woman had an athletic build and was considered statuesque. A Change Will Do You Good 1968 was an interesting year for our Amazing Amazon. After Kanighers departure, Editorial Director Carmine Infantino assigned writer Dennis ONeil and penciller Mike Sekowsky to the title. When a new writer is assigned to a title, the direction of the character usually shifts, but no one could predict the direction ONeil and team were about to take. What they were doing in Wonder Woman, I didnt see how a kid, male or female, could relate to it. It was so far removed from their world, recalled ONeil. (Daniels p. 125) His solution was to remove Wonder Womans powers, effectively putting a normal female out into the world to fend for her self. Gone were the magic lasso, bulletproof bracelets, and invisible jet. Wonder Woman was now outfitted in mod 60s clothes and partnered with an Asian mentor, I Ching. She relied on martial arts instead of Amazon strength. ONeil believed that by making her a normal person struggling in an extraordinary world, she would be a more viable feminist symbol. Many people agreed and sales skyrocketed. Wonder Woman was kept in this direction for almost two years before a very prominent feminist took a very anti-de-powered Wonder Woman stance: Gloria Steinem. In July of 1972, Steinems new magazine, Ms. hit the newsstands with a familiar face on the cover. Beneath a banner that read Wonder Woman for President was a rendering of Wonder Woman, in her traditional costume. Essayist Joanne Edgar took up two pages of the premier issue to denounce the changes made to Wonder Woman, and to assure readers that Wonder Woman would return to her roots in 1973. Steinem also wrote the forward to a hardcover collection of Marston-era Wonder Woman stories, and took the opportunity to denounce the changes herself. Steinem and others felt that by robbing Wonder Woman of her powers and tools, they had weakened an important symbol. She was no longer a unique person. It could also be suggested that because the idea came from a man, that it was an attempt by males to negate a woman as a powerful force. It seemed that Wonder Woman had been adopted by the feminist movement as a powerful symbol of what a woman could aspire to. It is probable that most women who inv oked Wonder Woman in their feminist rhetoric had not read some of the more outrageous of Marstons stories. Wonder Woman finally got her tiara back in Wonder Woman #204 (January-February 1973). Robert Kanigher was again the editor, if only for a few issues. The adoption of Wonder Woman by Steinem and company appeared to have an immediate influence, as Wonder Woman became a very active superhero, with all manner of villains. For the most part, stories did not center on romance or bondage, but rather on costumed villains and other action oriented heroics. Wonder Woman was finally getting the recognition of being a top notch Super Hero. It was at this time, Wonder Woman finally appeared on network TV. In the fall of 1975, The New, Original Wonder Woman aired on ABC. Starring Lynda Carter, the first episode dealt with Wonder Womans origin, sticking very closely to the comic book version. The ABC show was very tongue in cheek, but was a hit and aired on ABC and CBS, until 1977. Lynda Carter became the first woman to star in an action/adventure TV series, giving more credence to the ties between Wonder Woman and feminists. The comic book version continued in the same vein through the late 70s and early 80s. The only notable event was the change in her costume in 1982. In Wonder Woman #288 (February 1982), the eagle emblazoned on her bustier was traded in for a stylized double w. The change was to herald the creation of the Wonder Woman Foundation, created by DC Comics president Jenette Kahn. The purpose of the foundation was to honor (financially) women over 40 who have made a contribution to society. It was launched to coincide with Wonder Womans 40th anniversary. Rebirth In 1986, the entire DC Comics universe was given a makeover. Many characters, including Wonder Woman, had amassed a large and convoluted history, thanks to the ever revolving door of writers and editors. The solution was a 12 issue series entitled Crisis on Infinite Earths. Every character in the DC Universe (DCU) was rebooted, but none was as drastic as Wonder Woman. In Crisis #12, she was attacked and devolved into the clay from which she was formed. The clay then spread itself over the shores of Paradise Island. The stage was set for a comeback. George Perez took on the daunting task of breathing new life into the Amazon Princess. He was well aware of the fact that he was tinkering with an icon. Perez spent copious amounts of time researching Greek Mythology, and also feminism, discussing the project with his wife, editor Karen Berger, DC President Jennette Kahn, and of course, Gloria Steinem. Wonder Woman and feminism were about to become one and the same. Perez did not tinker with Wonder Womans origin too much. He did move her to present day, instead of World War II. She was still a princess, and was raised on an island of amazons. He did, however, give a very feminist slant to the creation of those amazons. In Wonder Woman #1, (February 1987), it was shown that the amazons were the re-incarnated souls of women whose lives had been cut short by the ignorance of man. As they migrated to Themyscira (Paradise Island) they became enlightened women, who spent their days learning and constructing. They were no longer the warrior race of mythology. As the champion of the contest that sent her to the Patriarchs World, Wonder Woman was an ambassador of her nation, charged with espousing the ideals of her Olympian Gods. This Wonder Woman needed no day job; she had an ambassadorial post at the United Nations. She was first a teacher, second, a hero. It is amazing that Perez was able to use Greek Mythology and give it a feminist slant. In the han ds of a lesser writer, the task would have failed. Greek Myth is rife with the subjugation and humiliation of women. Perez was able to center on the female contingent of Olympus, and keep the males as chauvinistic as before. Perez also handled the art chores, and made Wonder Woman look very real and very feminine, without resorting to objectifying art. Her physique was that of an athlete. She was tall, not too slender, and very muscular. It action sequences, you could see the muscles on her body strain as she attempted feats such as tossing tanks around. During Perezs run, Wonder Woman spent as much time on the lecture circuit as she did fighting off bad guys. The sales of the comic were strong, but DC was anxious to use their revamped character in more action oriented stories. William Messner-Loebs, took over as writer, but the major change was in the artist, Mike Deodato, Jr. To many people, all the work that was done to portray Wonder Woman as a strong, intelligent female hero flew out the door as Deodato brought his brand of art to the title. Wonder Woman now had very large breasts, a teeny tiny waist, and legs that went on for miles. Sales of the book were incredibly strong, but much of the attention was on the stylized, sexual appearance of the Amazon. Wonder Woman had never looked quite so slutty. Many claimed that Wonder Woman had become cheesecake, never the less, Deodato stayed on until issue #100. A Look To The Future Phil Jimenez took over the book and attempted to reconcile some of the continuity problems that had already surfaced on the series. Another talented writer/artist, Jimenez nurtured Wonder Woman through some very tough times. Like a mirror to actual world events, 2001 was a very difficult year for Wonder Woman. Themyscira was embroiled in a heated civil war, which resulted in the abolishment of the matriarchy and the loss of the title of princess for her. In a staggering galactic war, Hippolyta her mother and supporting character since the beginning of the book, was killed. Wonder Woman was shown as a woman who had very human problems to cope with. Her battles were not always with super villains or natural disasters. Jimenez showed a hero who had to deal with mother/daughter issues in a way that had rarely been shown in the series. Wonder Woman and her mother did not always get along! In one of his best issues (Wonder Woman #172) Jimenez weaved a tale of jealousy and forgiveness, as a protective mother (Hippolyta) gave her life to protect her seemingly ungrateful daughter. Jimenez was not afraid to show Wonder Woman in an unflattering light. She was jealous of her mother donning similar armor and leaving the shores of Themyscira to become a hero in her own right. Stories such as these brought some very female oriented issues to the forefront. Wonder Woman had never had to deal with issues of her royal status, her relationship with her mother, and the grief of losing a parent. Of course, she came through all of this on top, and ready to fight the good fight, but it was a difficult and interesting journey. As 2003 begins, writer Walter Simonson has revisited the non-powered concept of the 60s. With only 2 issues out, only time will tell if it will be as radical a change as it was before. In the new millennium of Xena, Lara Croft and other female action heroes, is Wonder Woman still relevant to the feminist movement Without her example, many of these franchises would not have had the inspiration to become a reality. Those choppy territories Wonder Woman covered have paved the way. Many writers and artists can use Wonder Womans history as a blueprint for what works, and also what doesnt. Wonder Woman continues to mirror the complexities of feminism; strong and assertive, yet caring and nurturing. All the while balancing family issues and fighting against stereotypes. As her comic book moves ahead, Wonder Woman will continue to tackle issues relating to every woman, and even, every human. Works Cited: Daniels, Les. Wonder Woman: The Complete History. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001. Edgar, Joanna Wonder Woman Revisited: Ms. Warner Communications: (July 1972) 28-29 Jimenez, Phil. Wonder Woman #172. (Second Series) DC Comics: (August 2001) Kanigher, Robert. Sensation Comics #97. DC Comics: (May-June 1950) Kanigher, Robert. Wonder Woman #204. DC Comics: (January-February 1973) Marston, William Moulten. Wonder Woman Archives, Vol. One. New York: DC Comics 1998, 8-16 The New, Original Wonder Woman Wonder Woman, ABC: November 7, 1975 ONeil, Dennis. Wonder Woman #177. DC Comics: (July-August 1968) Perez, George. Wonder Woman #1 (Second Series) DC Comics: (February 1987) Thomas, Roy. Wonder Woman #288 DC Comics: (February 1982) Wolfman, Marv. Crisis On Infinite Earths #12 DC Comics: (December 1986)

Physician assisted suicide :: essays research papers

The Effects of Assisted Suicide Legalization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While slowly experiencing an eventual death, the pain of a life-threatening disease is unbearable. The constant anguish of a helpless cancer patient, Richard, is driving away all sanity. As he lies there on the hospital bed near his family, Richard finally makes a grave decision. He decides to call upon a physician to end his pain. The doctor would give him medication which would lead to an inevitable death. As he knows he is going to die within a few weeks anyway, Richard questions the doctor about the medication. â€Å"Just give me the word, and I will hand it over to you,† the doctor says. â€Å"Let me add, however, that even though it may be an option, do you think it is morally right?† The doctor is obviously an honest, noble man who gives all of his patients his sincere opinion. That, in most cases, is not common in a doctor’s character. Richard is left with those words from the doctor and given time to talk about the situation with his family. After a long discussion, they realize that life is a privilege and should not be taken by choice, no matter how intense the pain is. Weeks later, at Richard’s funeral, the family feels proud of him for enduring the agonizing experience and to die naturally. The choice of physician assisted suicide may be an irrelevant issue to some, but when it comes to terminally ill patients, it is definitely an observable option. These people must realize that taking a life, whether someone else’s or their own, is dishonorable. Assisted suicide should be against the law in all states because it would have an affect on medical procedures, persuade doctors to make the wrong decisions, and change the morality of people around the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people of this country are partially represented by the United States Supreme Court. In fact, the United States Supreme Court is going to become the final judge of this important issue because two United States Court of Appeals decisions have recently ruled laws forbidding physician-assisted suicide unconstitutional (Court 1). There is no doubt that the effect of the speculations by the highest court in this country on physician-assisted suicide will be as important as anyone has witnessed in a long while. Physician-assisted suicide is one of the most controversial medical issues there is. Although a recent poll shows that 64 to 73 percent of Americans believe doctors should be admitted to end the lives of terminally ill patients under their permission, Americans may not realize what could actually happen if

Privatization Essay -- Government Businesses Papers

Privatization Privatizing services is a more attractive option for most local governments and is widely practiced around the state. There are certain government services in which it is impractical to create a free competitive market. For others, it is almost impossible to predict the potential success or failure of privatization. These unclear predictions make privatization a very complicated issue for local governments. The combination of rapidly rising service costs and slowly increasing revenues has led officials in some cities and counties to use non-traditional income services to fund government options. Throughout the mid 1980's state and local governments continue to be in trouble because of the rapid increase in the demand for services they provide along with an increasing resistance on the part of their citizens to raising taxes in order to provide those services. Privitization is an outsourcing of functions to private companies that the financial burdern of providing these services shifts from the taxpayers at large to the individual consumers. Doing away with government services at the local level is almost impossible. Elected officials are often resistant to vote to cut services. The elected officials are usually familiar with the people who might be negatively impacted by such an action. Citizens usually do not want to do away with local government services because they view services such as water/sewer, fire , police and recreation as being life sustaining. Citizens feel that services can't be provided adequately by state or federal governments, and would like to keep services at the local level. A factor to keep in mind when looking at the potentials and downfalls of privatization is the private... ...ion/BURZASH.htm. Privatization on the Roll, says RPPI http://www.reason.org/apr98central.html The Opportunities and Challenges of Privatization http://www.doe.gov/privatization/report/chapt-3.htm The Opportunities and Challenges of Privatization http://www.doe.gov/privatization/report/chapt-4.htm The Legal and Political Enviornment of Privatization http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/pgem/ch1c.html ASCH, Peter, and Sececa, Rosalind S. Government and the Marketplace 2nd Edition. The Dryden Press, a division of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1989 Weicher, John Private Innovations In Public Transit. Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public policy Research, 1988 Krikorian, Greg and Riccardi, Nicholas Board Votes to Test Privatizing Child Support System. Los Angeles Times, November 11, 1988.

Yaroslav the Wise :: History Ukraine Ukranian Essays

Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav, son of Vladimir, took over full control of Kyiv in the year 1036. This did not occur until after the deaths of his father and many brothers. Upon Vladimir’s death in 1015 his son Sviatopolk rushed in and took control over Kyiv, killing three of his own brothers in the process. Yaroslav could not let this stand. Joined by Mstislav, another brother, and hired Scandinavian mercenaries, they ousted Sviatopolk and split the empire between themselves. Mstislav controlled Chernigov and Yaroslav went to Novgorod, as he preferred that to Kyiv. Mstislav died in 1036, and at that time Yaroslav became the undisputed ruler of all Kyivan Rus lands. At this time he moved his capital back to the traditional city of Kyiv. [2] Yaroslav did much for the betterment of the Ukrainian state during his reign. He settled the problem of having unruly neighbors to the south. He led a sound defensive stand against an attack of the marauding Pechenegs.[3] These southern folk had been a pestering nuisance for a number of years. After the defeat of these troublesome foes, there was nothing else to worry about in the south because the people that moved in next were much more peaceful. He could now worry about the Polish problem in the east. The Poles were not happy about there western land holdings. They wanted to annex the Ukrainian lands to the west of them. Yaroslav lead an expedition in the late 1920’s and dominated the Polish army, plundered their cities and took many prisoners.[4] After this the Polish peoples revolted and threw out old hierarchy of government and getting rid of Christianity. He later married his sister to the new king of Poland and for the time being the trouble with Poland was over. During this time period it was a great honor to be married to the family of a foreign countries monarchy. It was also a wise governing decision as it made connections and allies out of countries that otherwise may have been foes. Yaroslav the Wise :: History Ukraine Ukranian Essays Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav, son of Vladimir, took over full control of Kyiv in the year 1036. This did not occur until after the deaths of his father and many brothers. Upon Vladimir’s death in 1015 his son Sviatopolk rushed in and took control over Kyiv, killing three of his own brothers in the process. Yaroslav could not let this stand. Joined by Mstislav, another brother, and hired Scandinavian mercenaries, they ousted Sviatopolk and split the empire between themselves. Mstislav controlled Chernigov and Yaroslav went to Novgorod, as he preferred that to Kyiv. Mstislav died in 1036, and at that time Yaroslav became the undisputed ruler of all Kyivan Rus lands. At this time he moved his capital back to the traditional city of Kyiv. [2] Yaroslav did much for the betterment of the Ukrainian state during his reign. He settled the problem of having unruly neighbors to the south. He led a sound defensive stand against an attack of the marauding Pechenegs.[3] These southern folk had been a pestering nuisance for a number of years. After the defeat of these troublesome foes, there was nothing else to worry about in the south because the people that moved in next were much more peaceful. He could now worry about the Polish problem in the east. The Poles were not happy about there western land holdings. They wanted to annex the Ukrainian lands to the west of them. Yaroslav lead an expedition in the late 1920’s and dominated the Polish army, plundered their cities and took many prisoners.[4] After this the Polish peoples revolted and threw out old hierarchy of government and getting rid of Christianity. He later married his sister to the new king of Poland and for the time being the trouble with Poland was over. During this time period it was a great honor to be married to the family of a foreign countries monarchy. It was also a wise governing decision as it made connections and allies out of countries that otherwise may have been foes.

Brazil socio economy Essay

Brazil is one of the South American countries and the fifth largest country in terms of geographical area. It has population of over one hundred and eight three million people. The Brazil’s natural resources largely includes gold, iron ore, manganese ,bauxite platinum, tin ,uranium, timber and petroleum among others. In most part of Brazil’s history, it has experienced very slow economic growth. For instance, during the colonial period sugar, gold and slavery did not boost the economy of the country. In fact, in mid-eighteenth century, Brazil’s economy retardation did worry Portuguese rulers. During the time of independence, Brazil had one of the least productive economies in the western hemisphere than any other New World colony. After the independence it did not show much progress. When the industrial revolution seemed to gather momentum, imperial Brazil economy was stagnating. As slavery ended marking the fall of the empire, its per capita Gross Domestic Production (GDP) was less than a half that of Mexico and making one sixth of the United State. This show some improvement from 1913 to 1980 where it sustained significant economic growth though interrupted by the Great Depression in early years. However, over the past quarter century, its economy has barely grown. Each time it makes attempt to rise it falls back. Similarly, its social inequality has also been historical. Social inequality has been there through different periods, in various economic models, in dictatorships and in democratic transitions. Therefore, the main purpose of this presentation is to discuss reasons which that have contributed to social inequality and economical stagnation in Brazil. From 1500 to late 1930s, the Brazilian economy relied heavily on the production of primary products for export. In fact, its economy assumed colonial master policy that was sternly enforced during its reign that for about three centuries has curbed the development that lasted past independence. There were some changes that occurred when slavery was abolished and waged labor adopted. First important structural transformation steps were recorded in 1930 when Brazil changed into a modern, semi-industrialized economy. They were intensely felt between 1950 and 1981 when economic growth rates remained quite high with establishment of diversified manufacturing base. After World War II rapid socioeconomic transformation took place. But since early 1980s, Brazil’s economy has been encountering economic huddles that have seen it have very slow growth if not stagnation. When second oil shock stuck in 1979, the prices of oil importation in Brazil double and this had effects on trade in that it lowered terms of trade further. The increase in world trade rates caused rise in Brazil’s balance payments and size of foreign debt though country did not stop borrowing meanwhile it tried to maintain high-growth strategy. In start of 1980s, foreign debt became so acute which led to introduction of program that could generate growing trade in surpluses so that country could amortize the foreign debt. This was achieved by reducing imports and expansion of exports. Consequently, real gross domestic production declined. Mexican debt crisis of 1981 blocked Brazil’s access to international financial markets that caused much pressure for its economic adjustment. Structural Adjustment Plan was introduced by International Monetary Fund that enabled the country to meet interest payments on the debt. However, this subsequently resulted in much of economic decline compounded with high inflation rate. It happened that, inflation accelerated further due to a combination of number of factors namely the exchange –rate devaluations of austerity program, growing public deficit and escalating indexation of financial balances and wages among others. The exchange –rate devaluations of the austerity program and growing public deficit formed a classical cause of inflation. Nevertheless, increased indexation of financial balances and wage were just important mechanism for propagating inflation. At around mid 1980s, foreign debt was almost displaced by domestic debt that caused main economic problem. Previously, during period of high economic growth in 1970s, considerable portion of foreign borrowing was done by state enterprises which were the main actors in the import-substitution industrialization strategy. At first they borrowed with intention of financing their investments but later due to acute shortage of foreign exchange they were compelled by the government to borrow unnecessarily and thus increasing their debts greatly. This was worsened by the sharp increase of international rates. This followed that because the state enterprises were not supposed to go bankrupt; their debt burden was borne by the government which further increased the public debt. Coupled with disorganization of the public sector, public debt was transformed in to a big economic problem. By the end of 1980s it was necessary for large-scale fiscal reform that could result to non-inflationary financing of the public sector not only for inflation control purposes alone but also restore the public sector’s capacity to be able to invest for overall economy recovery. But this was hampered by political challenges which could not make any reform to materialize. Several attempts were mounted to bring down inflation which was the most visible symptom. There were referred to as ‘heterodox economic shocks’ namely Cruzado Plan, the Bresser Plan and the Summer Plan that came in succession in each year from 1987 to 1989 respectively. These plans did no make the situation any better. By the start of 1990s, the country was ushered into a new era that probably radiated some hope to recovery of the economy that was marked by the first post-military president Fernando Collor de Mello in March 1990. Hyperinflation and virtually bankrupt public sector was the first things he had to fix with his new administration. But preceding events could not promise any good outcome to mobilize stagnating economy. Two years later, the President Collor de Mello was impeached on corruption charges. Therefore, it is evident that the ‘undeveloped’ of Brazil’s economy has been caused by several factors. Brazil’s geographical position is one of the factors that have contributed to its slow economic growth. This is because most of it tradable natural resources are too far from potential markets for profit exploitation. For instance, during the colonial period major export was sugar which had to be produced within fifteen miles of a port or navigable river. But the huge Amazon River system flows through vast tropical forest where land is unfertile and there were no navigable rivers that were flowing where export crops could be produced using modern scientific farming methods. Brazil though had a long coastline a few were protected harbor and without railways or truck, what was produced in interior was cattle and slaves that walked to the market The same challenges face the country even today. The issue of poor transport is affecting the Brazil’s industries considerably. The government has often failed to meet export target due to the country’s transport problem and shipping of the production. Logistically, it has proven that even though it was to transport, the operating cost would increase the merchandise prices and hence lose in world market. This greatly removes Brazilian competitive advantage and makes it not to earn sufficient foreign exchange to boost it economy. World Bank has reveled that transport expenses account for about thirty five percent of the operating cost . This adversely affects even private companies. This generally had resulted to chronic lack of investment that has caused country’s economy not to develop. Another important factor to economy growth failure is the effects of the International Monetary Fund’s structural adjustment policy that trace way back to the 1980s. When the Brazil foreign debt happened to be high and was challenging to service it, International Monetary Fund to help the country, it introduced Structural Adjustment Policy which acted as stabilization program. However, it was designed from an orthodox monetarist perspective whereby it prioritized debts solvency through fiscal austerity and failed to address the core problem of Brazil’s economy. It did not curb rising inflation or initiate significant economic growth; rather it created hardship in the country. Another cause of the economy’s failure to thrive in Brazil is leadership. Brazil political leadership was characterized by emperor, politicalmachine, dictator, military authoritarianism, several military coups and impeachment leaderships. Most of these leaders’ agenda did not feature Brazil’s interest in their hearts as they establish themselves. Consequently this has made country economy to retrogress. Lastly, concentration of wealth to few minorities has perversely affected the Brazil’s economic growth. It has been observed that income inequality distribution in Brazil is one of the most unequal in the world. This has caused high poverty rates, chronic malnutrition and preventable disease that have caused the economy to drag. It is true that Brazil is socially unequal. It has been recorded to be one of the nations with high rate inequality. Its income inequality measurements according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are relatively higher than even some of very poor African countries such as Lesotho, Namibia or Sierra Leone and yet it belong to the wealthiest countries. The country has high income concentration that reveals that about one percent of the population belong to the richest which constitute to less than two million of the total population having approximately thirteen percent of all of household income. These results of poverty level have shown inconsistency in regards to its economic size. According to the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) data, about thirty percent of the population with is equivalent to fifty four million people are considered to be poor. Within this same group, about twenty million people that account for almost twelve percent of the population are ranked as been extremely poor. As it can be seen, this poverty level is higher than the average ten percent in countries with a per capita income similar to that of Brazil or those countries which have a poverty level three times less than Brazil. Inequality is more pronounced in the rural areas whereby small number of large owners such as large farmers, large rural entrepreneur who are seen to monopolize most of the rural areas coexist with thousands of small land owners, landless workers and rural workers who live in precarious conditions. From the start, there exists high level of land inequalities which continues to escalate. It has been found that, the percentage of the total area occupied by the ten percent largest properties is about seventy eight percent. Similarly, there is also a gap between the rich and the poor in urban areas in which more than eighty percent of the Brazilians live presently. A good percentage of urban dwellers are living in poor conditions without proper housing and access to public equipment and public health and recreation facilities among others. Access to housing also remains highly unequal based in regional basis. For instance, while in southern region and southwest region housing conditions are approximately thirty one and twenty seven percent respectively, this percent rises to about seventy percent in the northern region and sixty percent in mid-west region. At the same note, there is also serious problem in the housing deficit whereby it is estimates that close to eight million units with ninety percent of housing deficit mainly affect poor families with an income of barely three minimum wages in a month. From this brief analysis, poverty in Brazil is associated with color and location that is, it affect the black and is concentrated in northeast region. This is because, two-thirds of all the poor in Brazil are block and seventy percent of the total population living in the in poverty are city dwellers and close to fifty one percent belong to such population who are living in northeast region. The main cause of inequalities discussed above is not due to general lack of the resources but rather it is caused by their imbalanced distribution of resources. Such inequalities in contemporary democracies seem to be attributed to tensions that exist between the ethical requirements related to ‘right’ and the importance of economic effectiveness; between the legal order that promises equality and the realty of the exclusion which is brought about by the exercise of power. It is in historic records that in many of western countries there was a period when social disparities were so extreme such that society had to mobilize government mechanisms, through laws, public policies and changes in tax system that saw some degree of redistribution to eliminate the extreme forms of poverty and inequality that existed. However, in Brazil since it was a colony, empire and then a republic it has never had attempts to promote inclusion of the poorest segments of the population. It developed in all of twentieth century with considerable number of extremely poor people. Such development process that ‘manages poverty’ is referred to as a ‘conservative modernization’ by development experts which is model that describe a situation which produces significant changes in the economy without altering established socio-economic order by affecting it slowly. In social perspective, conservative modernization implies several things for instance, lack of regulation in labor market. Nearly more than half of the working population that comprises of about forty five million male and female workers do not enjoy any labor rights such as unemployment insurance, invalalidity insurance cover, paid vacation, maternity and paternity leave, family allowances and pensions. This translates that even though the country belong to the world’s wealthiest counties, it has not ensured formal wages and minimum social protection to many of its workers. Another consequence of social inequalities in Brazil is due to low level of schooling. Universal access to quality education has not given a priority in Brazil. Presently, illiteracy level rates at about ten percent. Subsequently, the average number of years of schooling of the population aged fifteen and above is estimated to be seven percent when it is suppose be legally at least eight years. Despite the fact that there is improvement as observed from the indicators, the quality of education has long way to go. In rural area, the conservative approach is also felt particularly in agribusiness which is found to strengthens the economic power of large landowners while it neglect the unskilled wage-earning labor force and many small farmers that are not incorporated into the prevailing agricultural model. In large cities exclusion process also has taken its toll where major changes in production process and in the appropriation of urban space have synergetic effects. Their effects are reflected in social spatial restructuring processes that seem to enhance the segregation problem or what in other term would rightly be referred to as ‘social apartheid’. In such situation a significant proportion of the population is forced to live not only outside the formal labor market but also without access to proper housing and basic public services that are vital for quality life such as sanitation, education, health care, transport and recreation. Another cause of inequality is regressive tax system that heavily imposes a burden on the consumption and labor while on the other side spares the large capital. The data collected by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2004 indicated that the tax load for the richest segment of the population who earned more than thirty minimum wages in a month accounts for about twenty six percent of the family income while the country’s poorest workers, for those with income of less than two minimum wages had a tax load which was nearly twice high- about forty nine percent. The worrying thing is that this situation is worsening over time. The same logic is found in spending of social policies that has been systematically diminishing. For instance, a decade ago there was a mechanism that was established that could allow the Federal government to withhold twenty percent of all the taxes and contributions allocated for social actions which mounted to billions of reals that were used every year to ensure the required surplus for paying interest on and repay the country’s debt. This largely contributed to inquality as the wealthiest- public debt creditor, are favored while the assistance provided by the government to the poorer population was reduced significantly. Social inequality does not only confine itself between the poor and the rich but also it is gender and race based. There is exclusion experienced by women and black people that is directly related to sexist and racist phenomena. Gender and race inequalities that has persisted for decades is an indication that individuals continue be discriminated based on their sex or color in spheres of society like in schools, labor market, political circles and family . The consequences of these perpetuated inequalities are perverse in that they make situation to look normal which in turn reinforce the stigmatization of these marginalized groups. This hinders individuals to achieve their potential and also prevents them exercise their right as Brazilian citizens. 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