Animal Cruelty Analysis

Animal Cruelty Shawn Brinkley Devry University Animal Cruelty Animal cruelty is something we hear about every day on the television from all the different shows. We think we understand the whole concept in which someone can be like that to an animal. The type of person that treats a animal like an object instead of a living breathing thing on this earth is someone that has certain issues that we all can not truly explain. Animal cruelty; what is animal cruelty? Is it cruelty to animals at any point, or is it just for self-glorification? There are many forms of animal cruelty.Most see animal cruelty as a intentional hatred or violence towards animals in which the animals suffer for no known reason other than possible self-satisfaction or glorification of the individual. While some people only think of animal cruelty in the confines of domestic animals e. g. dogs, cats, and other household pets, it extends far beyond that. Cruelty to animals, also known as animal abuse or animal neglec t consists of inflictions of suffering or harm upon animals of the non-human type. Animal abuse can be narrowed down to specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur.The term animal cruelty often arises when opinions differ in respect to the method of slaughter of the animal. Certain cruelty to animals encompasses inflicting harm for personal amusement or to fulfill zoo sadistic impulses, such as inflicting physical harm that can leave the animal disfigured. In looking into animal abuse or animal neglect you may find two different ways to approach the issue. Looking into this further, animal welfare has a position that there is nothing inherently wrong with using animals for human purposes, such as food, clothing, entertainment, and research.Although this does mean these things have to be done in a humane way to minimize unnecessary pain and suffering to the animals themselves. Animal theorist have also criticized that these reason can be argued by the words such as â€Å"unnecessary† and â€Å"Humane† being that they are widely differing interpretations. One argument is to insure protection for animals by making them not to be considered as property and never used as commodities as well. The legal side of this is that the law is designed to prevent the needless cruelty to animals, like killing the animals for fun instead of utilizing the animal for food.Specific countries may frown upon certain animals being used as a source of food having instated in the laws that the cruelty of this is something that will be looked over and not enforced. As a country does not enforce their own laws on the cruelty of the animals this leaves the wide variety of cruelty being looked at closely. Many countries jurisdictions vary around the world having enacted statutes for which forbidden cruelty to some animals may vary and in some cases by the use or practices. There are many reasons individuals abuse animals, cruelty to animals covers a wide range of actions or the lack of action.As we learn about the animal abuse in the world we see certain patterns of behavior employed by most abusers. When we look into animal cruelty it is often broken down into two main categories: active and passive cruelty, this is also referred to as commission and omission. Passive cruelty is in which the cruelty is a lack of action rather than the action itself. Such examples are when a person does not feed the animal (starvation, dehydration and parasite infestations). Other forms are allowing a collar to grow in the skin of the animal because of over tightening and heavy restraints.Inadequate shelter is another where in by the animal isn't given shelter in extreme weather conditions. Active cruelty is where malicious intent is the driving force behind causing harm to animals. Examples of this are when the animal is hurt in any way for no reason such as, beating a dog so hard that they can't walk for barking, shooting animals for fun instead o f game or sport, and throwing a cat off a bridge to see if they can always land on their feet. These examples are active cruelty for the reason of plain enjoyment of the person conducting them.Long before animals became part of the corporate industrial process, the ethics of the animals came first with the husbandry which is the care of the animals. This was the whole interest of the farmers they believed this was a major part in the raising of the animals. Animals were raised on diverse farms that produced crops and several species of animals having access to open pasture and barnyard when weather permits. Husbandry was considered the responsibility of the producers; now that this has all changed the conditions have become considerably worse. â€Å"According to one poll conducted by Oklahoma StateUniversity and the American Farm Bureau Federation found that 75% of the public would like to see government mandates for basic animal welfare measures. † (http://www. closeanimalfa ctories. org/the-issues/animal-cruelty/) Chickens are one of the top leading animals that are miss-treated. Hens sometimes live in a cage that is now bigger than a sheet of paper, causing them to grow into the wires of the cage and slowly dying from dehydration. These kinds of farms breed the birds for only one purpose. Other farms consist of thousands of hens breed just for laying eggs and nothing more. In the United States, an estimated 95% of egg-laying hens are intensively confined in battery cages. †(United Egg Producers. (2008 Edition published 2003). Inside these cages they keep 5 to 6 birds in, but sometime they go too far and keep up to 10 birds. These cages are simply larger in size, but are made from the same material as the cages the size of a sheet of paper. The number of birds that are used like this will astound most Americans. â€Å"As of December 2008, about 300 million birds are confined in battery, almost one for every U. S. citizens. † (USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. (2008).Pigs are another animal that is covered in the animal cruelty world very widely. The pig farms out there have many pigs that are breed just to breed or only live for a few months before they are slaughtered. Pigs have been used for testing on the side for their skin, because they have the closes skin type to humans this brings on the many test. Pig farms have become larger because of the slow push out of the smaller farms. â€Å"Since the factory systems took hold in the late 1960s, more and more pigs have been produced by increasingly larger operations where small pig farms start to disappear. † (National Hog Farmer, 15 Feb. 002) Pigs are being used like they are machines instead of animals. Certain farms believe that they are just there for one purpose. Some farmers have stated this â€Å"Forget the pig is an animal. Treat him just like a machine in a factory. Schedule treatments like you would lubrication. Breeding season like the f irst step in a assembly line. And marketing like the delivery of finished goods. † (Hog Farm Management Sept 1976). Throughout the nation there millions of pigs being used in these farms and live these kinds of live. Pigs in farms today are pumped with antibiotics because of the many different types of disease that are showing up. In the U. S. , antibiotics are added to 90% of starter feeds, 75% of grower feeds and more than half of finishing feeds for pigs† (Keep Antibiotics Working – Dec. 2003). The reason behind this because of the pigs being packed in cages that barely fit them. â€Å"Two-thirds of all pigs produced in the United States, or around fifty-three million animals a year, spend their lives in a total confinement pig farm. † (Hog Farm Management Sept 1976). Animals being treat as a product is becoming more and more profound. These animals being treated as factories or just machines is something we as a society address on the behalf of the anim als themselves.Animals have been around for millions of years and yes we as humans do depend on them for survival, but we need to understand that many animals are being harmed for this. Animals are used for something every day of our lives from being something we eat, something that we cherish, something we make money from. Animals have made a difference in our live even if we don’t know it. The cruelty to animals is becoming an epidemic across the United States from the smaller animals of bird, dog, cats, and exotic animals.The larger animals are becoming the main source of the cruelty from the chickens, up to the elephants in the circuses. Throughout the nation we have organizations that are willing to stand up for the animals and fight for them as well. The Humane society, PETA, and the animal activist out there are willing to step up to the defense of the animals themselves. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is an organization that believes that animals h ave rights just as humans. These rights fight for the animals to not be treated in humane in any way that a human would not be treated as well.In conclusion, animal cruelty is a problem not only in our country but throughout the world. Simple reasons may have cause the cruelty and maybe they are caused by malicious intent of a person. Animal cruelty is something that can be addressed and stop throughout the world if we as people are will to step in. The steps needed to stop animal cruelty are slowly taking effect, from the interaction of law into the farms, to the government shutting down the larger production companies. Reference: The Center to Exposed & Close Animal Factories 2010 http://www. closeanimalfactories. rg/the-issues/animal-cruelty/ United Egg Producers. (2008 Edition published 2003). United Egg Producers Animal Husbandry Guidelines For U. S. Egg Laying Flocks. Retrieved November 15, 2008. Page 1, paragraph 6. USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. (2008). Chicke ns and Eggs. Retrieved December 16, 2008. page 1. Joe Vansickle, â€Å"Quality Assurance Program Launched,† National Hog Farmer, 15 Feb. 2002 http://www. animalsuffering. com/resources/facts/factory-farming. php J. Byrnes – Raising Pigs by the Calendar at Maplewood Farm – Hog Farm Management Sept 1976

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 4 Library

VENABILI, DORS-†¦ Historian, born in Cinna†¦ Her life might well have continued on its uneventful course were it not for the fact that, after she had spent two years on the faculty of Streeling University, she became involved with the young Hari Seldon during The Flight†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 16. The room that Hari Seldon found himself in was larger than Hummin's room in the Imperial Sector. It was a bedroom with one corner serving as a washroom and with no sign of any cooking or dining facilities. There was no window, though set in the ceiling was a grilled ventilator that made a steady sighing noise. Seldon looked about a bit ruefully. Hummin interpreted that look with his usual assured manner and said, â€Å"It's only for tonight, Seldon. Tomorrow morning someone will come to install you at the University and you will be more comfortable.† â€Å"Pardon me, Hummin, but how do you know that?† â€Å"I will make arrangements. I know one or two people here†-he smiled briefly without humor-â€Å"and I have a favor or two I can ask repayment for. Now let's go into some details.† He gazed steadily at Seldon and said, â€Å"Whatever you have left in your hotel room is lost. Does that include anything irreplaceable?† â€Å"Nothing really irreplaceable. I have some personal items I value for their association with my past life, but if they are gone, they are gone. There are, of course, some notes on my paper. Some calculations. The paper itself.† â€Å"Which is now public knowledge until such time as it is removed from circulation as dangerous-which it probably will be. Still, I'll be able to get my hands on a copy, I'm sure. In any case, you can reconstruct it, can't you?† â€Å"I can. That's why I said there was nothing really irreplaceable. Also, I've lost nearly a thousand credits, some books, clothing, my tickets back to Helicon, things like that.† â€Å"All replaceable.-Now I will arrange for you to have a credit tile in my name, charged to me. That will take care of ordinary expenses.† â€Å"That's unusually generous of you. I can't accept it.† â€Å"It's not generous at all, since I'm hoping to save the Empire in that fashion. You must accept it.† â€Å"But how much can you afford, Hummin? I'll be using it, at best, with an uneasy conscience.† â€Å"Whatever you need for survival or reasonable comfort I can afford, Seldon. Naturally, I wouldn't want you to try to buy the University gymnasium or hand out a million credits in largess.† â€Å"You needn't worry, but with my name on record-â€Å" â€Å"It might as well be. It is absolutely forbidden for the Imperial government to exercise any security control over the University or its members. There is complete freedom. Anything can be discussed here, anything can be said here.† â€Å"What about violent crime?† â€Å"Then the University authorities themselves handle it, with reason and care-and there are virtually no crimes of violence. The students and faculty appreciate their freedom and understand its terms. Too much rowdiness, the beginning of riot and bloodshed, and the government may feel it has a right to break the unwritten agreement and send in the troops. No one wants that, not even the government, so a delicate balance is maintained. In other words, Demerzel himself can not have you plucked out of the University without a great deal more cause than anyone in the University has given the government in at least a century and a half. On the other hand, if you are lured off the grounds by a student-agent-â€Å" â€Å"Are there student-agents?† â€Å"How can I say? There may be. Any ordinary individual can be threatened or maneuvered or simply bought-and may remain thereafter in the service of Demerzel or of someone else, for that matter. So I must emphasize this: You are safe in any reasonable sense, but no one is absolutely safe. You will have to be careful. But though I give you that warning, I don't want you to cower through life. On the whole, you will be far more secure here than you would have been if you had returned to Helicon or gone to any world of the Galaxy outside Trantor.† â€Å"I hope so,† said Seldon drearily. â€Å"I know so,† said Hummin, â€Å"Or I would not feel it wise to leave you.† â€Å"Leave me?† Seldon looked up sharply. â€Å"You can't do that. You know this world. I don't.† â€Å"You will be with others who know this world, who know this part of it, in fact, even better than I do. As for myself, I must go. I have been with you all this day and I dare not abandon my own life any longer. I must not attract too much attention to myself. Remember that I have my own insecurities, just as you have yours.† Seldon blushed. â€Å"You're right. I can't expect you to endanger yourself indefinitely on my behalf. I hope you are not already ruined.† Hummin said coolly, â€Å"Who can tell? We live in dangerous times. Just remember that if anyone can make the times safe-if not for ourselves, then for those who follow after us-it is you. Let that thought be your driving force, Seldon.† 17. Sleep eluded Seldon. He tossed and turned in the dark, thinking. He had have never felt quite so alone or quite so helpless as he did after Hummin had nodded, pressed his hand briefly, and left him behind. Now he was on a strange world-and in a strange part of that world. He was without the only person he could consider a friend (and that of less than a day's duration) and he had no idea of where he was going or what he would be doing, either tomorrow or at any time in the future. None of that was conducive to sleep so, of course, at about the time he decided, hopelessly, that he would not sleep that night or, possibly, ever again, exhaustion overtook him†¦ When he woke up it was still dark-or not quite, for across the room he saw a red light flashing brightly and rapidly, accompanied by a harsh, intermittent buzz. Undoubtedly, it was that which had awakened him. As he tried to remember where he was and to make some sort of sense out of the limited messages his senses were receiving, the flashing and buzzing ceased and he became aware of a peremptory rapping. Presumably, the rapping was at the door, but he didn't remember where the door was. Presumably, also, there was a contact that would flood the room with light, but he didn't remember where that was either. He sat up in bed and felt along the wall to his left rather desperately while calling out, â€Å"One moment, please.† He found the necessary contact and the room suddenly bloomed with a soft light. He scrambled out of bed, blinking, still searching for the door, finding it, reaching out to open it, remembering caution at the last moment, and saying in a suddenly stern, no-nonsense voice, â€Å"Who's there?† A rather gentle woman's voice said, â€Å"My dame is Dors Venabili and I have come to see Dr. Hari Seldon.† Even as that was said, a woman was standing just in front of the door, without that door ever having been opened. For a moment, Hari Seldon stared at her in surprise, then realized that he was wearing only a one-piece undergarment. He let out a strangled gasp and dashed for the bed and only then realized that he was staring at a holograph. It lacked the hard edge of reality and it became apparent the woman wasn't looking at him. She was merely showing herself for identification. He paused, breathing hard, then said, raising his voice to be heard through the door, â€Å"If you'll wait, I'll be with you. Give me†¦ maybe half an hour.† The woman-or the holograph, at any rate-said, â€Å"I'll wait,† and disappeared. There was no shower, so he sponged himself, making a rare mess on the tiled floor in the washroom corner. There was toothpaste but no toothbrush, so he used his finger. He had no choice but to put on the clothes he had been wearing the day before. He finally opened the door. He realized, even as he did so, that she had not really identified herself. She had merely given a name and Hummin had not told him whom to expect, whether it was to be this Dors Somebody or anyone else. He had felt secure because the holograph was that of a personable young woman, but for all he knew there might be half a dozen hostile young men with her. He peered out cautiously, saw only the woman, then opened the door sufficiently to allow her to enter. He immediately closed and locked the door behind her. â€Å"Pardon me,† he said, â€Å"What time is it?† â€Å"Nine,† she said, â€Å"The day has long since begun.† As far as official time was concerned, Trantor held to Galactic Standard, since only so could sense be made out of interstellar commerce and governmental dealings. Each world, however, also had a local time system and Seldon had not yet come to the point where he felt at home with casual Trantorian references to the hour. â€Å"Midmorning?† he said. â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"There are no windows in this room,† he said defensively. Dors walked to his bed, reached out, and touched a small dark spot on the wall. Red numbers appeared on the ceiling just over his pillow. They read: 0903. She smiled without superiority. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"But I rather assumed Chetter Hummin would have told you I'd be coming for you at nine. The trouble with him is he's so used to knowing, he sometimes forgets that others occasionally don't know.-And I shouldn't have used radio-holographic identification. I imagine you don't have it on Helicon and I'm afraid I must have alarmed you.† Seldon felt himself relax. She seemed natural and friendly and the casual reference to Hummin reassured him. He said, â€Å"You're quite wrong about Helicon, Miss-â€Å" â€Å"Please call me Dors.† â€Å"You're still wrong about Helicon, Dors. We do have radioholography, but I've never been able to afford the equipment. Nor could anyone in my circle, so I haven't actually had the experience. But I understood what had happened soon enough.† He studied her. She was not very tall, average height for a woman, he judged. Her hair was a reddish-gold, though not very bright, and was arranged in shore curls about her head. (He had seen a number of women in Trantor with their hair so arranged. It was apparently a local fashion that would have been laughed at in Helicon.) She was not amazingly beautiful, but was quite pleasant to look at, this being helped by full lips that seemed to have a slight humorous curl to them. She was slim, well-built, and looked quite young. (Too young, he thought uneasily, to be of use perhaps.) â€Å"Do I pass inspection?† she asked. (She seemed to have Hummin's trick of guessing his thoughts, Seldon thought, or perhaps he himself lacked the trick of hiding them.) He said, â€Å"I'm sorry. I seem to have been staring, but I've only been trying to evaluate you. I'm in a strange place. I know no one and have no friends.† â€Å"Please, Dr. Seldon, count me as a friend. Mr. Hummin has asked me to take care of you.† Seldon smiled ruefully. â€Å"You may be a little young for the job.† â€Å"You'll find I am not.† â€Å"Well, I'll try to be as little trouble as possible. Could you please repeat your name?† â€Å"Dors Venabili.† She spelled the last name and emphasized the stress on the second syllable. â€Å"As I said, please call me Dors and if you don't object too strenuously I will call you Hari. We're quite informal here at the University and there is an almost self-conscious effort to show no signs of status, either inherited or professional.† â€Å"Please, by all means, call me Hari.† â€Å"Good. I shall remain informal then. For instance, the instinct for formality, if there is such a thing, would cause me to ask permission to sit down. Informally, however, I shall just sit.† She then sat down on the one chair in the room. Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"Clearly, I'm not at all in possession of my ordinary faculties. I should have asked you to sit.† He sat down on the side of his crumpled bed and wished he had thought to straighten it out somewhat-but he had been caught by surprise. She said pleasantly, â€Å"This is how it's going to work, Hari. First, we'll go to breakfast at one of the University cafes. Then I'll get you a room in one of the domiciles-a better room than this. You'll have a window. Hummin has instructed me to get you a credit tile in his name, but it will take me a day or two to extort one out of the University bureaucracy. Until that's done, I'll be responsible for your expenses and you can pay me back later.-And we can use you. Chetter Hummin told me you're a mathematician and for some reason there's a serious lack of good ones at the University.† â€Å"Did Hummin tell you that I was a good mathematician?† â€Å"As a matter of fact, he did. He said you were a remarkable man-â€Å" â€Å"Well.† Seldon looked down at his fingernails. â€Å"I would like to be considered so, but Hummin knew me for less than a day and, before that, he had heard me present a paper, the quality of which he has no way of judging. I think he was just being polite.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Dors. â€Å"He is a remarkable person himself and has had a great deal of experience with people. I'll go by his judgment. In any case, I imagine you'll have a chance to prove yourself. You can program computers, I suppose.† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"I'm talking about teaching computers, you understand, and I'm asking if you can devise programs to teach various phases of contemporary mathematics.† â€Å"Yes, that's part of my profession. I'm assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Helicon.† She said, â€Å"Yes, I know. Hummin told me that. It means, of course, that everyone will know you are a non-Trantorian, but that will present no serious problems. We're mainly Trantorian here at the University, but there's a substantial minority of Outworlders from any number of different worlds and that's accepted. I won't say that you'll never hear a planetary slur but actually the Outworlders are more likely to use them than the Trantorians. I'm an Outworlder myself, by the way.† â€Å"Oh?† He hesitated and then decided it would be only polite to ask. â€Å"What world are you from?† â€Å"I'm from Cinna. Have you ever heard of it?† He'd be caught out if he was polite enough to lie, Seldon decided, so he said, â€Å"No.† â€Å"I'm not surprised. It's probably of even less account than Helicon is. Anyway, to get back to the programming of mathematical teaching computers, I suppose that that can be done either proficiently or poorly.† â€Å"Absolutely.† â€Å"And you would do it proficiently.† â€Å"I would like to think so.† â€Å"There you are, then. The University will pay you for that, so let's go out and eat. Did you sleep well, by the way?† â€Å"Surprisingly, I did.† â€Å"And are you hungry?† â€Å"Yes, but-† He hesitated. She said cheerfully, â€Å"But you're worried about the quality of the food, is that it? Well, don't be. Being an Outworlder myself, I can understand your feelings about the strong infusion of microfood into everything, but the University menus aren't bad. In the faculty dining room, at least. The students suffer a bit, but that serves to harden them.† She rose and turned to the door, but stopped when Seldon could not keep himself from saying, â€Å"Are you a member of the faculty?† She turned and smiled at him impishly. â€Å"Don't I look old enough? I got my doctorate two years ago at Cinna and I've been here ever since. In two weeks, I'll be thirty.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Seldon, smiling in his turn, â€Å"but you can't expect to look twenty-four and not raise doubts as to your academic status.† â€Å"Aren't you nice?† said Dors and Seldon felt a certain pleasure wash over him. After all, he thought, you can't exchange pleasantries with an attractive woman and feel entirely like a stranger. 18. Dors was right. Breakfast was by no means bad. There was something that was unmistakably eggy and the meat was pleasantly smoked. The chocolate drink (Trantor was strong on chocolate and Seldon did not mind that) was probably synthetic, but it was tasty and the breakfast rolls were good. He felt is only right to say as much. â€Å"This has been a very pleasant breakfast. Food. Surroundings. Everything.† â€Å"I'm delighted you think so,† said Dors. Seldon looked about. There were a bank of windows in one wall and while actual sunlight did not enter (he wondered if, after a while, he would learn to be satisfied with diffuse daylight and would cease to look for patches of sunlight in a room), the place was light enough. In fact, it was quite bright, for the local weather computer had apparently decided is was time for a sharp, clear day. The cables were arranged for four apiece and most were occupied by the full number, but Dors and Seldon remained alone at theirs. Dors had called over some of the men and women and had introduced them. All had been polite, but none had joined them. Undoubtedly, Dors intended that to be so, but Seldon did not see how she managed to arrange it. He said, â€Å"You haven't introduced me to any mathematicians, Dors.† â€Å"I haven't seen any that I know. Most mathematicians start the day early and have classes by eight. My own feeling is that any student so foolhardy as to take mathematics wants to get that part of the course over with as soon as possible.† â€Å"I take it you're not a mathematician yourself.† â€Å"Anything but,† said Dors with a short laugh. â€Å"Anything. History is my field. I've already published some studies on the rise of Trantor-I mean the primitive kingdom, not this world. I suppose that will end up as my field of specialization-Royal Trantor.† â€Å"Wonderful,† said Seldon. â€Å"Wonderful?† Dors looked at him quizzically. â€Å"Are you interested in Royal Trantor too?† â€Å"In a way, yes. That and other things like that. I've never really studied history and I should have.† â€Å"Should you? If you had studied history, you'd scarcely have had time to study mathematics and mathematicians are very much needed-especially at this University. We're full to here with historians,† she said, raising her hand to her eyebrows, â€Å"and economists and political scientists, but we're short on science and mathematics. Chetter Hummin pointed that out to me once. He called it the decline of science and seemed to think it was a general phenomenon.† Seldon said, â€Å"Of course, when I say I should have studied history, I don't mean that I should have made it a life work. I meant I should have studied enough to help me in my mathematics. My field of specialization is the mathematical analysis of social structure.† â€Å"Sounds horrible.† â€Å"In a way, it is. It's very complicated and without my knowing a great deal more about how societies evolved it's hopeless. My picture is too static, you see.† â€Å"I can't see because I know nothing about it. Chetter told me you were developing something called psychohistory and that it was important. Have I got it right? Psychohistory?† â€Å"That's right. I should have called it ‘psychosociology,' but it seemed to me that was too ugly a word. Or perhaps I knew instinctively that a knowledge of history was necessary and then didn't pay sufficient attention to my thoughts.† â€Å"Psychohistory does sound better, but I don't know what it is.† â€Å"I scarcely do myself.† He brooded a few minutes, looking at the woman on the other side of the table and feeling that she might make this exile of his seem a little less like an exile. He thought of the other woman he had known a few years ago, but blocked it off with a determined effort. If he ever found another companion, it would have to be one who understood scholarship and what it demanded of a person. To get his mind onto a new track, he said, â€Å"Chetter Hummin told me that the University is in no way troubled by the government.† â€Å"He's right.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"That seems rather unbelievably forbearing of the Imperial government. The educational institutions on Helicon are by no means so independent of governmental pressures.† â€Å"Nor on Cinna. Nor on any Outworld, except perhaps for one or two of the largest. Trantor is another matter.† â€Å"Yes, but why?† â€Å"Because it's the center of the Empire. The universities here have enormous prestige. Professionals are turned out by any university anywhere, but the administrators of the Empire-the high officials, the countless millions of people who represent the tentacles of Empire reaching into every corner of the Galaxy-are educated right here on Trantor.† â€Å"I've never seen the statistics-† began Seldon. â€Å"Take my word for it. It is important that the officials of the Empire have some common ground, some special feeling for the Empire. And they can't all be native Trantorians or else the Outworlds would grow restless. For that reason, Trantor must attract millions of Outworlders for education here. It doesn't matter where they come from or what their home accent or culture may be, as long as they pick up the Trantorian patina and identify themselves with a Trantorian educational background. That's what holds the Empire together. The Outworlds are also less restive when a noticeable portion of the administrators who represent the Imperial government are their own people by birth and upbringing.† Seldon felt embarrassed again. This was something he had never given any thought to. He wondered if anyone could be a truly great mathematician if mathematics was all he knew. He said, â€Å"Is this common knowledge?† â€Å"I suppose it isn't,† said Dors after some thought. â€Å"There's so much knowledge to be had that specialists cling to their specialties as a shield against having to know anything about anything else. They avoid being drowned.† â€Å"Yet you know it.† â€Å"But that's my specialty. I'm a historian who deals with the rise of Royal Trantor and this administrative technique was one of the ways in which Trantor spread its influence and managed the transition from Royal Trantor to Imperial Trantor.† Seldon said, almost as though muttering to himself, â€Å"How harmful overspecialization is. It cuts knowledge at a million points and leaves it bleeding.† Dors shrugged. â€Å"What can one do?-But you see, if Trantor is going to attract Outworlders to Trantorian universities, it has to give them something in return for uprooting themselves and going to a strange world with an incredibly artificial structure and unusual ways. I've been here two years and I'm still not used to it. I may never get used to it. But then, of course, I don't intend to be an administrator, so I'm not forcing myself to be a Trantorian. â€Å"And what Trantor offers in exchange is not only the promise of a position with high status, considerable power, and money, of course, but also freedom. While students are having their-education, they are free to denounce the government, demonstrate against it peacefully, work out their own theories and points of view. They enjoy that and many come here so that they can experience the sensation of liberty.† â€Å"I imagine,† said Seldon, â€Å"that it helps relieve pressure as well. They work off all their resentments, enjoy all the smug self-satisfaction a young revolutionary would have, and by the time they take their place in the Imperial hierarchy, they are ready to settle down into conformity and obedience.† Dors nodded. â€Å"You may be right. In any case, the government, for all these reasons, carefully preserves the freedom of the universities. It's not a matter of their being forbearing at all-only clever.† â€Å"And if you're not going to be an administrator, Dors, what are you going to be?† â€Å"A historian. I'll teach, put book-films of my own into the programming.† â€Å"Not much status, perhaps.† â€Å"Not much money, Hari, which is more important. As for status, that's the sort of push and pull I'd just as soon avoid. I've seen many people with status, but I'm still looking for a happy one. Status won't sit still under you; you have to continually fight to keep from sinking. Even Emperors manage to come to bad ends most of the time. Someday I may just go back to Cinna and be a professor.† â€Å"And a Trantorian education will give you status.† Dors laughed. â€Å"I suppose so, but on Cinna who would care? It's a dull world, full of farms and with lots of cattle, both four-legged and two-legged.† â€Å"Won't you find it dull after Trantor?† â€Å"Yes, that's what I'm counting on. And if it gets too dull, I can always wangle a grant to go here or there to do a little historical research. That's the advantage of my field.† â€Å"A mathematician, on the other hand,† said Seldon with a trace of bitterness at something that had never before bothered him, â€Å"is expected to sit at his computer and think. And speaking of computers-† He hesitated. Breakfast was done and it seemed to him more than likely she had some duties of her own to attend to. But she did not seem to be in any great hurry to leave. â€Å"Yes? Speaking of computers?† â€Å"Would I be able to get permission to use the history library?† Now it was she who hesitated. â€Å"I think that can be arranged. If you work on mathematics programming, you'll probably be viewed as a quasi-member of the faculty and I could ask for you to be given permission. Only-â€Å" â€Å"Only?† â€Å"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but you're a mathematician and you say you know nothing about history. Would you know how to make use of a history library?† Seldon smiled. â€Å"I suppose you use computers very much like those in a mathematics library.† â€Å"We do, but the programming for each specialty has quirks of its own. You don't know the standard reference book-films, the quick methods of winnowing and skipping. You may be able to find a hyperbolic interval in the dark†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You mean hyperbolic integral,† interrupted Seldon softly. Dors ignored him. â€Å"But you probably won't know how to get the terms of the Treaty of Poldark in less than a day and a half.† â€Å"I suppose I could learn.† â€Å"If†¦ if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked a little troubled. â€Å"If you want to, I can make a suggestion. I give a week's course-one hour each day, no credit-on library use. It's for undergraduates. Would you feel it beneath your dignity to sit in on such a course-with undergraduates, I mean? It starts in three weeks.† â€Å"You could give me private lessons.† Seldon felt a little surprised at the suggestive tone that had entered his voice. She did not miss it. â€Å"I dare say I could, but I think you'd be better off with more formal instruction. We'll be using the library, you understand, and at the end of the week you will be asked to locate information on particular items of historical interest. You will be competing with the other students all through and that will help you learn. Private tutoring will be far less efficient, I assure you. However, I understand the difficulty of competing with undergraduates. If you don't do as well as they, you may feel humiliated. You must remember, though, that they have already studied elementary history and you, perhaps, may not have.† â€Å"I haven't. No ‘may' about it. But I won't be afraid to compete and I won't mind any humiliation that may come along-if I manage to learn the tricks of the historical reference trade.† It was clear to Seldon that he was beginning to like this young woman and that he was gladly seizing on the chance to be educated by her. He was also aware of the fact that he had reached a turning point in his mind. He had promised Hummin to attempt to work out a practical psychohistory, but that had been a promise of the mind and not the emotions. Now he was determined to seize psychohistory by the throat if he had to-in order to make it practical. That, perhaps, was the influence of Dors Venabili. Or had Hummin counted on that? Hummin, Seldon decided, might well be a most formidable person. 19. Cleon I had finished dinner, which, unfortunately, had been a formal state affair. It meant he had to spend time talking to various officials-not one of whom he knew or recognized-in set phrases designed to give each one his stroke and so activate his loyalty to the crown. It also meant that his food reached him but lukewarm and had cooled still further before he could eat it. There had to be some way of avoiding that. Eat first, perhaps, on his own or with one or two close intimates with whom he could relax and then attend a formal dinner at which he could merely be served an imported pear. He loved pears. But would that offend the guests who would take the Emperor's refusal to eat with them as a studied insult. His wife, of course, was useless in this respect, for her presence would but further exacerbate his unhappiness. He had married her because she was a member of a powerful dissident family who could be expected to mute their dissidence as a result of the union, though Cleon devoutly hoped that she, at least, would not do so. He was perfectly content to have her live her own life in her own quarters except for the necessary efforts to initiate an heir, for, to tell the truth, he didn't like her. And now that an heir had come, he could ignore her completely. He chewed at one of a handful of nuts he had pocketed from the table on leaving and said, â€Å"Demerzel!† â€Å"Sire?† Demerzel always appeared at once when Cleon called. Whether he hovered constantly in earshot at the door or he drew close because the instinct of subservience somehow alerted him to a possible call in a few minutes, he did appear and that, Cleon thought idly, was the important thing. Of course, there were those times when Demerzel had to be away on Imperial business. Cleon always hated those absences. They made him uneasy. â€Å"What happened to that mathematician? I forget his name.† Demerzel, who surely knew the man the Emperor had in mind, but who perhaps wanted to study how much the Emperor remembered, said, â€Å"What mathematician is it that you have in mind, Sire?† Cleon waved an impatient hand. â€Å"The fortune-teller. The one who came to see me.† â€Å"The one we sent for?† â€Å"Well, sent for, then. He did come to see me. You were going to take care of the matter, as I recall. Have you?† Demerzel cleared his throat. â€Å"Sire, I have tried to.† â€Å"Ah! That means you have failed, doesn't it?† In a way, Cleon felt pleased. Demerzel was the only one of his Ministers who made no bones of failure. The others never admitted failure, and since failure was nevertheless common, it became difficult to correct. Perhaps Demerzel could afford to be more honest because he failed so rarely. If it weren't for Demerzel, Cleon thought sadly, he might never know what honesty sounded like. Perhaps no Emperor ever knew and perhaps that was one of the reasons that the Empire- He pulled his thoughts away and, suddenly nettled at the other's silence and wanting an admission, since he had just admired Demerzel's honesty in his mind, said sharply, â€Å"Well, you have failed, haven't you?† Demerzel did not flinch. â€Å"Sire, I have failed in part. I felt that to have him here on Trantor where things are-difficult might present us with problems. It was easy to consider that he might be more conveniently placed on his home planet. He was planning to return to that home planet the next day, but there was always the chance of complications-of his deciding to remain on Trantor-so I arranged to have two young alley men place him on his plane that very day.† â€Å"Do you know alley men, Demerzel?† Cleon was amused. â€Å"It is important, Sire, to be able to reach many kinds of people, for each type has its own variety of use-alley men not the least. As it happens, they did not succeed.† â€Å"And why was that?† â€Å"Oddly enough, Seldon was able to fight them off.† â€Å"The mathematician could fight?† â€Å"Apparently, mathematics and the martial arts are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I found out, not soon enough, that his world, Helicon, is noted for it-martial arts, not mathematics. The fact that I did not learn this earlier was indeed a failure, Sire, and I can only crave your pardon.† â€Å"But then, I suppose the mathematician left for his home planet the next day as he had planned.† â€Å"Unfortunately, the episode backfired. Taken aback by the event, he decided not to return to Helicon, but remained on Trantor. He may have been advised to this effect by a passerby who happened to be present on the occasion of the fight. That was another unlooked-for complication.† The Emperor Cleon frowned. â€Å"Then our mathematician-what is his name?† â€Å"Seldon, Sire. Hari Seldon.† â€Å"Then this Seldon is out of reach.† â€Å"In a sense, Sire. We have traced his movements and he is now at Streeling University. While there, he is untouchable.† The Emperor scowled and reddened slightly. â€Å"I am annoyed at that word-‘untouchable.' There should be nowhere in the Empire my hand cannot reach. Yet here, on my own world, you tell me someone can be untouchable. Insufferable!† â€Å"Your hand can reach to the University, Sire. You can send in your army and pluck out this Seldon at any moment you desire. To do so, however, is†¦ undesirable.† â€Å"Why don't you say ‘impractical,' Demerzel. You sound like the mathematician speaking of his fortune-telling. It is possible, but impractical. I am an Emperor who finds everything possible, but very little practical. Remember, Demerzel, if reaching Seldon is not practical, reaching you is entirely so.† Eto Demerzel let this last comment pass. The â€Å"man behind the throne† knew his importance to the Emperor, he had heard such threats before. He waited in silence while the Emperor glowered. Drumming his fingers against the arm of his chair, Cleon asked,†¦ Well then, what good is this mathematician to us if he is at Streeling University?† â€Å"It may perhaps be possible, Sire, to snatch use out of adversity. At the University, he may decide to work on his psychohistory.† â€Å"Even though he insists it's impractical?† â€Å"He may be wrong and he may find out that he is wrong. And if he finds out that he is wrong, we would find some way of getting him out of the University. It is even possible he would join us voluntarily under those circumstances.† The Emperor remained lost in thought for a while, then said, â€Å"And what if someone else plucks him out before we do?† â€Å"Who would want to do that, Sire?† asked Demerzel softy. â€Å"The Mayor of Wye, for one,† said Cleon, suddenly shouting. â€Å"He dreams still of taking over the Empire.† â€Å"Old age has drawn his fangs, Sire.† â€Å"Don't you believe it, Demerzel.† â€Å"And we have no reason for supposing he has any interest in Seldon or even knows of him, Sire.† â€Å"Come on, Demerzel. If we heard of the paper, so could Wye. If we see the possible importance of Seldon, so could Wye.† â€Å"If that should happen,† said Demerzel, â€Å"or even if there should be a reasonable chance of its happening, then we would be justified in taking strong measures.† â€Å"How strong?† Demerzel said cautiously, â€Å"It might be argued that rather than have Seldon in Wye's hands, we might prefer to have him in no one's hands. To have him cease to exist, Sire.† â€Å"To have him killed, you mean,† said Cleon. â€Å"If you wish to put it that way, Sire,† said Demerzel. 20. Hari Seldon sat back in his chair in the alcove that had been assigned to him through Dors Venabili's intervention. He was dissatisfied. As a matter of fact, although that was the expression he used in his mind, he knew that it was a gross underestimation of his feelings. He was not simply dissatisfied, he was furious-all the more so because he wasn't sure what it was he was furious about. Was it about the histories? The writers and compilers of histories? The worlds and people that made the histories? Whatever the target of his fury, it didn't really matter. What counted was that his notes were useless, his new knowledge was useless, everything was useless. He had been at the University now for almost six weeks. He had managed to find a computer outlet at the very start and with it had begun work-without instruction, but using the instincts he had developed over a number of years of mathematical labors. It had been slow and halting, but there was a certain pleasure in gradually dete rmining the routes by which he could get his questions answered. Then came the week of instruction with Dors, which had taught him several dozen shortcuts and had brought with it two sets of embarrassments. The first set included the sidelong glances he received from the undergraduates, who seemed contemptuously aware of his greater age and who were disposed to frown a bit at Dors's constant use of the honorific â€Å"Doctor† in addressing him. â€Å"I don't want them to think,† she said, â€Å"that you're some backward perpetual student taking remedial history.† â€Å"But surely you've established the point. Surely, a mere ‘Seldon' is sufficient now.† â€Å"No,† Dors said and smiled suddenly. â€Å"Besides, I like to call you ‘Dr. Seldon.' I like the way you look uncomfortable each time.† â€Å"You have a peculiar sense of sadistic humor.† â€Å"Would you deprive me?† For some reason, that made him laugh. Surely, the natural reaction would have been to deny sadism. Somehow he found it pleasant that she accepted the ball of conversation and fired it back. The thought led to a natural question. â€Å"Do you play tennis here at the University?† â€Å"We have courts, but I don't play.† â€Å"Good. I'll teach you. And when I do, I'll call you Professor Venabili.† â€Å"That's what you call me in class anyway.† â€Å"You'll be surprised how ridiculous it will sound on the tennis court.† â€Å"I may get to like it.† â€Å"In that case, I will try to find what else you might get to like.† â€Å"I see you have a peculiar sense of salacious humor.† She had put that ball in that spot deliberately and he said, â€Å"Would you deprive me?† She smiled and later did surprisingly well on the tennis court. â€Å"Are you sure you never played tennis?† he said, puffing, after one session. â€Å"Positive,† she said. The other set of embarrassments was more private. He learned the necessary techniques of historical research and then burned-in private-at his earlier attempts to make use of the computer's memory. It was simply an entirely different mind-set from that used in mathematics. It was equally logical, he supposed, since it could be used, consistently and without error, to move in whatever direction he wanted to, but it was a substantially different brand of logic from that to which he was accustomed. But with or without instructions, whether he stumbled or moved in swiftly, he simply didn't get any results. His annoyance made itself felt on the tennis court. Dors quickly reached the stage where it was no longer necessary to lob easy balls at her to give her time to judge direction and distance. That made it easy to forget that she was just a beginner and he expressed his anger in his swing, firing the ball back at her as though it were a laser beam made solid. She came trotting up to the net and said, â€Å"I can understand your wanting to kill me, since it must annoy you to watch me miss the shots so often. How is it, though, that you managed to miss my head by about three centimeters that time? I mean, you didn't even nick me. Can't you do better than that?† Seldon, horrified, tried to explain, but only managed to sound incoherent. She said, â€Å"Look. I'm not going to face any other returns of yours today, so why don't we shower and then get together for some tea and whatever and you can tell me just what you were trying to kill. If it wasn't my poor head and if you don't get the real victim off your chest, you'll be entirely too dangerous on the other side of the net for me to want to serve as a target.† Over tea he said, â€Å"Dors, I've scanned history after history; just scanned, browsed. I haven't had time for deep study yet. Even so, it's become obvious. All the book-films concentrate on the same few events.† â€Å"Crucial ones. History-making ones.† â€Å"That's just an excuse. They're copying each other. There are twenty-five million worlds out there and there's significant mention of perhaps twenty-five.† Dors said, â€Å"You're reading general Galactic histories only. Look up the special histories of some of the minor worlds. On every world, however small, the children are taught local histories before they ever find out there's a great big Galaxy outside. Don't you yourself know more about Helicon, right now, than you know about the rise of Trantor or of the Great Interstellar War?† â€Å"That sort of knowledge is limited too,† said Seldon gloomily. â€Å"I know Heliconian geography and the stories of its settlement and of the malfeasance and misfeasance of the planet Jennisek-that's our traditional enemy, though our teachers carefully told us that we ought to say ‘traditional rival.' But I never learned anything about the contributions of Helicon to general Galactic history.† â€Å"Maybe there weren't any.† â€Å"Don't be silly. Of course there were. There may not have been great, huge space battles involving Helicon or crucial rebellions or peace treaties. There may not have been some Imperial competitor making his base on Helicon. But there must have been subtle influences. Surely, nothing can happen anywhere without affecting everywhere else. Yet there's nothing I can find to help me. See here, Dors. In mathematics, all can be found in the computer; everything we know or have found out in twenty thousand years. In history, that's not so. Historians pick and choose and every one of them picks and chooses the same thing.† â€Å"But, Hari,† said Dors, â€Å"mathematics is an orderly thing of human invention. One thing follows from another. There are definitions and axioms, all of which are known. It is†¦ it is†¦ all one piece. History is different. It is the unconscious working out of the deeds and thoughts of quadrillions of human beings. Historians must pick and choose.† â€Å"Exactly,† said Seldon, â€Å"but I must know all of history if I am to work out the laws of psychohistory.† â€Å"In that case, you won't ever formulate the laws of psychohistory.† That was yesterday. Now Seldon sat in his chair in his alcove, having spent another day of utter failure, and he could hear Dors's voice saying, â€Å"In that case, you won't ever formulate the laws of psychohistory.† It was what he had thought to begin with and if it hadn't been for Hummin's conviction to the contrary and his odd ability to fire Seldon with his own blaze of conviction, Seldon would have continued to think so. And yet neither could he quite let go. Might there not be some way out? He couldn't think of any.

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Is There a Responsibility to Protect in International Law - Essay Example The paper "Is There a Responsibility to Protect in International Law?" evaluates the responsibility to protect and how it reflects the collective interests of the international community thereby emerging as a principle of international law since it is argued that the responsibility to protect is defined by and limited by customary international law. Underlying these two principles is the UN’s founding premise to foster an international community where all states are equal and act for the collective goal of peace within the UN Charter. Efforts on the part of the UN to promote peace will always be tempered by the need to respect the territorial sovereignty and the doctrine of non-intervention. This is so even in instances where the UN seeks to promote the protection of the environment and development. There is a responsibility to protect in international law particularly since the latter is a reflection of the collective â€Å"interests of the international community.† Th e International law follows from the needs of the international community.Historically, the UN has been predisposed to narrow state resort to unilateral action and for states to settle the dispute by virtue of peaceful means. There has long been a disposition toward tolerance of state intervention for democratic change. Clausewitz’s theory on the need for revolutionary change in Europe back in the early 1800s reflects this. In recent years the international customary law has developed a concept of state responsibility.

Development of the new england colonies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Development of the new england colonies - Essay Example In 1608, a branch of separatist group of Scrooby decided to flee to Holland. This group comprised of humble individuals, and in Holland, they found low paying jobs. This situation caused some people of the group to quit for other religions. In 1620, a large group of separatist pilgrim left for Mayflower a region that was named Plymouth situated on the Coast of what is today Southeastern Massachusetts. Unfortunately, this group encountered many problems in the new world. For instance, they had the difficulty of crossing the ocean and inadequate supply of food left many hungry. The local Indians assisted Plymouth Colony, and they survived the harsh conditions (Smith 1963, 33). Many puritans who were still living in England were now interest in colonization. In 1629, a group of lawyers and merchants organized a company they called Massachusetts Bay. As time went by, Massachusetts received a royal charter securing its rights to govern the region of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It too k a short time for people to settle in New England by about over twenty thousand settlers. According to Anderson (1992, 66-68), the settlers built towns in the New World. Charles II continued to issue royal charters to these immigrants in 1660s, in that some of them decided to settle in Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut and Rhodes Island. Massachusetts successfully conquered New Hampshire in the 1640’s but it was until 1679 when it became a separate colony. In addition, the New England colonists divided the land among themselves in that some families had about 150 acres of land. As this habit continued, the increasing number of young families moved on to western Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Men headed their families in that they sought strict respect and obedience from their children even when they became adults. On the other hand, wives were to be submissive to their husbands. During that time, the law demanded that women who possessed any property were required to surrender it before marriage. At that time, the issue of divorce was almost impossible until the dawn of late eighteenth century. When elections were held in colonies, women were not allowed to vote. Only the widows and single women in society held the same rights as men. The colonies utilized town meetings as basis of their self-governance whereby, town meetings required unanimous consent of all town men. Church played a vital role in the development of new colonies in England. Churches were established at the same time towns were being built. Ministers held much power in that they had the ability to influence over the private and public lives of the people but held no government offices. The colonists were demanded to attend church services and assist ministers in their work in all colonies. New England did not enjoy harmony as the arriving immigrants from England who began to settle in New England disagreed with the local people. These conflicts emerged over different issues such as the right way to regulate livestock, plant crops and distribute land. Towns developed and became overcrowded resulting in many families relocating to outlying districts and wanted to establish their own schools and churches. Religion was the main banning issue in New England among the colonies such as Virginia, New Hampshire, a

Foreign Enterprise Manage the JV Company with State Owned Background Dissertation

Foreign Enterprise Manage the JV Company with State Owned Background -Veolia Water's Business Model in China for its Long Term - Dissertation Example The measures thus adopted by the joint venture entity of Veolia Water for the better performance of the company so as to fulfil the demand for water in China. The business model of Veolia water over the span of five years starting from 2002 to 2007 especially has been a remarkable one. This has led to the success of the parent organisations with respect to the operations carried out by Veolia Water in China. The performance of the company is a matter of great concern for it. This has resulted in the company adaption to the Competence Based Training of the employees, where the requirement of the employees will be first assessed and thereafter training will be provided in the area concerned. In order to detect more parameters in water the company has invested in the high-end technologies which in the long-run will benefit the company in providing adequate water supply in the country of China. The economic situation of China has attracted a lot of joint ventures and foreign investments to take place in the country. Through joint venture with the foreign enterprise the country has benefitted by financial capital being invested in the country. The job opportunities over the year have also increased to a great extent. Through this case study we can observe that Veolia Water has been successful enough in creating value by setting up of joint ventures in emerging economy like China. The company takes initiative in controlling the cost and the capital expenditure of the company along with the adoption of the sustainable value appropriation policies. This has helped Veolia to effectively design and implement the international joint venture strategies in emerging economy like China. The management of Veolia Water developed against the international joint venture in China led to the emphasis on the cross cultural management whereby the company had to respect the values of the local authority and the culture of its place of operation. So as to keep pace with the cross cultu re the company has implemented effective human resource management for the company which helps the company keep pace with the changing external requirements for the company. The joint venture has also benefitted Veolia Water in terms of availing cheap labour and the already available natural resources. With Veolia Water entering the market of China, the country gained in terms of diversified capital investment with the unprecedented opportunity to observe the nature of the competitive strategies in the form of joint venture. Thus studying the advantages and the disadvantages of Veolia Water in the economy of China we can make a comparative analysis of its effects on the strategies of joint venture thus adopted by the company. Table of Contents Abstract 2 1. Introduction 6 1.1 Background of the Study 6 1.2 Aim and Objective of the Study 7 1.3 Research Questions 9 1.4 Significance of the Study 9 1.5 Research Structure 10 2. Literature Review 15 2.1 International Joint Ventures 15 2.2 Chinese-Foreign Joint Ventures 16 2.2.1 Legal and Operational Issues in context of Chinese-Foreign Joint Ventures 19 2.3 Influence of Chinese culture on Chinese-Foreign Joint Ventures 23 2.4 Evaluation of Joint Venture Performance 25 2.5 Measures of Performance 28 2.6 Synopsis of Measures in Prior Joint Venture Performance Studies 30 2.7 Summary 32 3. Research Methodology 33 3.2 Introduction 33 3.2 Research Methods 34 3.3 Data Analysis Strategy 37 3.4 Research

Contemporary Management Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contemporary Management Issues - Essay Example This tendency is projected to aggravate over the next few years due to an expected mass retirement of most of Britain’s working class, leaving a small number in the job market. In decades to come, the number of people in the employment sector will be less than that of retirees. This interprets that the number of citizens of working age is set to be inversely comparative to that of retirees. This mass retirement, will result in limited workforce in both the private, and public sectors. The expected gap in the job market will negatively affect the economy, as the demand for commodities will be higher than the supply leading to anticipated inflation. The health sector will also feel the effect as most of the pensioners will be in need of more healthcare and social services. With the dwindling savings of these retirees and the limited savings of the few in the job market, the government will be forced to find alternative ways to fund the health and pension systems. As a result, ma ny people are inclined towards accumulating savings during their active years and dissimulating the same savings after retirement. This could lead to people selling their assets rather than buying, therefore, reducing asset value and increasing interest rates. In summary, the current demographical trend in the United Kingdom could lead to inflation, a reduction in personal savings, increased interest rates, capital accumulation and an overall strain in government expenditure. An analysis of the demographic changes in the United Kingdom shows that birth-rates and fertility have significantly reduced as compared to the 1970s. On the other hand, death rates have been consistently lower than live births. This has ensured a considerable population increase, a shift from the 1990s when British women were not giving birth. Although this is the trend now, the retirees continue to pose a threat to the British economy. With the ever increasing number of retirees, coupled with the upcoming gen eration and a small working group, the United Kingdom is headed for tough economic times. All these, will result, in a decline in economic growth in Britain, if corrective measures are not taken. Impact of the European Union on the global economy The world today has become progressively more interdependent in as far as economic growth is concerned. The European Union is at the fore front in promoting global economic systems. Member states to the European Union enjoy less restrictive trading laws and fair competition due to the increased elimination of trade barriers. The European Union is a global powerhouse in trade, which has been able to contend with the United States. As the world’s largest exporter, the European Union has continued to dominate the global economy. It exports high quality, first-class rated manufactured products. These include motor vehicles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to nations outside this union. The United States and China are the leading destinatio ns for European Union’s exports, mainly machinery and transport gear. The European Union is the second largest importer after the United States and gets most of its products from member states. With the adoption of the euro as the medium of exchange, lifting of tariffs and the free movement of people within its quarters, trade has flourished. Due to this power held by the European union, other countries are more often than not, forced to give in to its demands. The European Uni

Hydraulic Fracking Essay Example for Free

Hydraulic Fracking Essay This paper explores the hydraulic fracturing process, exactly what it is, what the fracturing process does to the earth and the surrounding environment in addition, to the consequences. Hydraulic fracturing is fracturing of rock by pressurization. This process by which oil and natural gas can be forced from the earth. The hydraulic fracturing process takes millions of gallons of clean water, sand, chemicals and pumps them underground at high pressure to break apart rock to release gas and or oil. My research has led me to the discovery that there are as many proponents for fracking as that are those that oppose the process. One thing no-one can deny or easily hide is that once the damage is done and something has gone wrong, the evidence usually speaks volumes that this is not something we should be doing to our planet or its people. The diagram on page 3 outlines the process defined as fracking for an easier understanding of how invasive the process is to the environment. Hydraulic Fracking Research Paper and Why the process of Fracking is bad for our environment Hydraulic fracturing experimentation started in 1947 and it had its first commercially successful applications by 1949, so it has been around for a long time. In twenty-thirteen, it is estimated that well over sixty five percent of all new oil and gas wells worldwide are using the process of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing, has allowed the United States to tap into domestic sources of natural gas and oil that were previously not economical to extract from such as shale beds. This has created numerous economic benefits for communities and governments in a time of economic instability. Hydraulic fracturing Scientists are worried that the chemicals used in fracturing may pose a threat either underground or when waste fluids are handled they are sometimes spilled on the surface which can cause site contamination or find its way back to water clean water. The natural gas industry defends hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as safe and efficient. Thomas J. Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, a pro-industry non-profit organization, claims fracking has been â€Å"a widely deployed as safe extraction technique,† dating back to 1949. What Mr. Pyle fails to explain is that until recently energy companies had used low-pressure methods to extract natural gas from fields closer to the surface than the current high-pressure technology that extracts more gas, by digging to deeper levels and it also uses significantly more water, sand and chemicals. There have been serious environmental impacts associated with the process which has raised public concern. At this point, a causal relationship has not been established but increasing attention opens the possibility that further government action could be imminent regarding the practice. According to Baumgartner and Jones’s Punctuated Equilibrium theory, policy processes are generally characterized by stability and incrementalism in the subsystem level of government, but occasionally if enough attention can be garnered toward an issue, then large scale change can occur. Thus far, policy regarding hydraulic fracturing has been incremental and mainly consists of agency rules and state regulations. However, it can be argued that if a definite relationship can be established between fracking activities and public health risks, then the likelihood of a major punctuation occurrence would increase and allow for significant policy change on a national level regarding this issue. The issue is being brought to the forefront due to the changes in the fracking process, the original method forced fluid down a vertical shaft to create fissures in the bedrock to release more gas or oil but this method limited extraction to directly under the well. Now, the current method forces fluid under extreme pressure down a vertical shaft with horizontal or directional sections that allows for extraction from a wider area within the formation. The pressure and fluid create fracture systems that allow the natural gas or oil to move more freely from rock pores to production wells that bring it to the surface. The fluid used is mainly composed of water (ninety percent), propping agents (such as sand account for nine percent) and chemicals (point five percent). The specific make-up and combination of chemicals is often considered confidential or a â€Å"trade secret† by many companies. The Democratic Congressional Committee on Energy and Commerce found that 750 different chemicals are used in fracking and range from harmless substances such as salt and citric acid to extremely toxic ones such as lead and benzene. Assertions have been made that the chemicals used may be contaminating water sources and causing air pollution however, confirming the pollution is a result of fracking has been difficult. The line is very light gray it has been difficult to prove the relationship which has contributed to allow the industry to operate with minimal regulations until recently. According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), fracking has produced 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 7 billion barrels of oil and is projected to account for 70% of future natural gas development. Natural gas is considered by some to be a â€Å"bridge† fuel that will allow for the transition from petroleum to alternative fuels. Over its full cycle of production, distribution, and use, natural gas emits just over half as many greenhouse gas emissions as coal for equivalent energy output,† wrote the Worldwatch Institute. The promise of a significant domestic energy supply is extremely attractive as the nation strives to find a way toward energy independence. Fracking has also been touted as a job creator and economy stimulator. American Petroliem Institute (API) estimates that the development of the Marcellus fairway (which covers Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia) could generate 300,000 new jobs, over $6 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue and nearly $25 billion in value added to the economy by 2020. In the northern part of South Texas Eagle Ford Shale, Exco Resources will acquire about 55,000 net acres in Zavala, Dimmit, La Salle and Frio counties. The properties contain 120 producing wells that had average net daily production of 6,100 barrels of oil equivalent during May. Chesapeake Energy Corp. plans to sell assets in the Eagle Ford and Haynesville shales to Dallas-based Exco Resources for $1 billion. According to the American Chemistry Council, fracking has decreased the price of natural gas which has resulted in more industrial companies choosing to keep their business in America. Investments from these companies could hit $16 billion and create 17,000 direct jobs and 400,000 indirect jobs. However, these economic benefits need to be balanced against potentially negative environmental impacts including water contamination and air pollution that could cause serious health concerns. Problems with Hydraulic Fracturing Fresh water is one of the most precious resources on earth and also a very scarce one. Fresh water makes up only 2. 5% of all the water on earth and of that, 1. 3% is surface water and 30. 1% is groundwater. The rest is in the form of ice and snow in either glaciers or ice caps, according to the United States Geological Survey. Water is necessary for life on earth, it is extremely critical that it be protected from harmful pollution. Allegations have been made that fracking has led to the contamination of both surface and groundwater sources. Groundwater consists of all water located below the surface. Fracking activities have been linked to ground water contamination in a variety of ways. Most fracking happens at about 8,000 feet below the surface depending on the geological makeup of the area, while most underground water aquifers are located about 1,000 feet below the surface. Fracking proponents argue that there is no way for the contaminants to migrate due to the significant space between the activity and the aquifer. However, the composition of the earth may be extremely porous, have natural fissures or fractures that would allow contaminants to migrate. Combine a porous formation with the extreme pressure used in the fracking process and the potential for migration increases. One particular worry is methane gas, which occurs naturally in the earth, and is released in concentrated amounts when the fracking process breaks apart the rock formations. According to a study done by the National Academy of Sciences, methane gas concentrations in drinking water wells increased with the proximity to the nearest gas well at levels that had the potential to be an explosion hazard, in comparison to dissolved methane samples in wells next to nonextraction sites. In Dimock, Pennsylania, the study found that some residents’ water wells that were in close proximity to where fracking activities were known to be happening had their wells explode or their water could be lit on fire due to concentrated levels of methane gas. In Texas, several cities and surrounding counties of Lubbuck, Weatherford, Beaumont and Ft Worth have complained of methane contamination in drinking water. Levels are confirmed up but the cause has not yet been determined. Another possible point of aquifer contamination is in the construction itself. Oftentimes, the shaft is drilled down through the aquifer on its way to the shale formations below. If the shaft is poorly constructed, there is potential for the fracking fluid to leak directly into the aquifer as it is going down or coming back up as flowback. Contamination to ground water can also come from the fracking wastewater that is brought back to the surface. Once it has been used, it can be disposed of in an injection well. Currently, this waste is considered â€Å"oil/gas waste† and not â€Å"hazardous waste† so it is not subject to the stricter disposal guidelines associated with the hazardous distinction which leaves the potential for hazardous chemicals to reach groundwater sources if the injection well is poorly constructed. Besides ground water contamination, fracking activities have been blamed for surface water pollution as well. Surface water consists of all fresh water on the surface of the earth usually in rivers, streams or lakes. Fracking creates millions of gallons of wastewater that is extracted back to the surface in the recovery of the oil and gas. Typically, the flowback is treated by waste water treatment plants and released back into surface waters but is only tested for tier 1 2 chemicals, not tier 3 which are volatile chemicals. If they cannot dispose of it in this manner, some companies will utilize large â€Å"containment ponds† which are lined and used to hold the wastewater while it evaporates. Recently in Texas fracking operations have been blamed on recent increase in air pollution, perhaps these containment ponds are the issue. The liners are typically plastic and sometimes crack or get damaged which allows the contaminated fluids to leach into ground or surface water. Another potential danger comes from plugged wells. During the fracking process, large amounts of pressure is used and if the cement plug used to close the well is not sealed properly, there is a risk of it exploding and spewing the fracking chemicals into nearby surface water. In some areas, naturally occurring radioactive elements, such as radium, have been found in concentrated levels in local waterways due to fracking activities. In addition to water contamination, there have been serious allegations of air pollution caused by fracking activities. Natural gas fracking extraction emits greenhouse gases, smog-inducing compounds and potential carcinogens causing health and environmental concerns. Increased levels of methanol, formaldehyde, carbon disulfide, and benzene have been found near fracking sites. These pollutants are known to cause asthma attacks, cancer, and even premature death. Some airborne pollutants from fracked gas wells, like volatile organic compounds, can react with sunlight to create smog. Loopholes The Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempted hydraulic fracturing from the restrictions and standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). It created the â€Å"Halliburton Loophole† which prohibited the EPA from regulating the injection of fracking fluids under the SDWA except in cases where diesel is used. Since the exact chemicals used in fracking are often considered proprietary by the industry so it is difficult to ascertain when or if diesel is used in a fracking operation. Some companies have chosen to disclose the chemicals they use on www. fracfocus. org. While this is an encouraging first step, it is entirely voluntary at this time on private land. The Department of the Interior has mandated that companies drilling on public and Indian lands will be required to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations. The new rules also set standards for proper construction of wells and wastewater disposal. These rules could serve as a model for state regulators. Some states such as Wyoming, Michigan, and Texas, have been proactive and required full public disclosure of fracking fluid chemical constituents. The other federal law that governs water is the Clean Water Act which authorizes the National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System to provide permits to companies who dispose flowback into surface waters. Currently, flowback that is released back into surface water is not tested for volatile organic compounds which can cause cancer or birth defects in humans. The Clean Air Act allows the EPA to regulate industry emissions into the air to protect its quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. According to an April article in USA Today, the EPA released first-ever air pollution rules for â€Å"fracking† wells, requiring that drillers burn or capture the gas and its smog-producing compounds that are released when wells are first tapped. The rules went into effect in June of 2012 but have a two year transition period. During that time, drillers may burn off the gas and chemicals but will need to move towards capturing them (called â€Å"green completions†). EPA estimates that this will cut 95% of the smog-related chemicals that are released by fracking wells. Given the lack of a definitive link between fracking activities and public health risks, fracking was allowed to develop with minimal regulations for decades because it was not on the public radar. It has only been in the last few years that the practice has come under scrutiny due to the increased usage of fracking and the undeniable potentially harmful impacts of the practice. Therefore, until it can be proven that the danger to human health posed by the environmental impacts of the practice can be shown beyond a doubt, fracking is going to continue. However, there needs to be more regulation of the industry and monitoring of the impacts of the practice to ensure that it is done in a safe manner. . If this happens, the likelihood for policy favoring more vigorous regulation of hydraulic fracturing is greatly increased. However, if there continues to be ambiguity and questions raised by proponents of fracking the changes will likely be small and incremental on the subsystem level. The response by the industry and its political allies to the scientific studies of the health and environmental effects of fracking â€Å"has approached the issue in a manner similar to the tobacco industry that for many years rejected the link between smoking and cancer,† say Drs. Bamberger and Oswald. Not only do they call for â€Å"full disclosure and testing of air, water, soil, animals, and humans,† but point out that with lax oversight, â€Å"the gas drilling boom . . . will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale. † References Bibliography of Works Cited: http://earthjustice. org/our_work/campaigns/fracking-gone-wrong-finding-a-better-way? gclid=CJ-tqOHWr7gCFWFp7Aod9GAAFw http://geology. com/articles/hydraulic-fracturing/ http://lubbockonline. com/filed-online/2012-10-19/methane-found-drinking-across -us-brings-concern-lubbock community#. UeMaf6Uo5Ms http://psehealthyenergy. net/data/Bamberger_Oswald_NS22_in_press. pdf www. coalitiontoprotectnewyork. org http://www. counterpunch. org/2012/03/19/the-perils-of-fracking/ http://www. marcellusoutreachbutler. org/ http://www. provostumphrey. com/blog/2013/01/texas-man-finds-benzene-and-methane-in-his-drinking-water. shtml http://www. scribd. com/doc/97449702/100-Fracking-Victims http://stateimpact. npr. org/texas/2012/08/07/frackings-link-to-smog-worries-some-texas-cities/ http://www. propublica. org/special/hydraulic-fracturing-national http://frack. mixplex. com/content/scientific-study-links-flammable-drinking-water-fracking http://www. hydraulicfracturing. com/Pages/information. aspx http://www. epa. gov/hydraulicfracture/ http://www. usatoday. com/money/industries/energy/environment/story/2012-04-18/fracking-pollution-

Pathological Rationalism Essay Example for Free

Pathological Rationalism Essay We often encounter a lot of pathological rationalism in the media. Oftentimes, the claims of some commercials and advertisements are half-truths interspersed with testimonies designed to convince people of their truthfulness and helpfulness when in fact, the claims are not acknowledged by nutritional science. Because its marketing and distribution is not prohibited by law, Vitamin O was marketed as a supplement with beneficial effects for anemia, cancer and the improvement of energy and of the mind. These effects, however, are but manifestations of the placebo effect and what is claimed as Vitamin O is saltwater with few additional contents (CNN Interactive, 1999). Because of the lack of scientific basis, the Federal Trade Commission brought against the makers of Vitamin O and the company was ordered by the court to return the money of the customers who bought it because the accounts and the evidences presented in the media about Vitamin O is â€Å"blatantly false† (CNN Interactive, 1999). In dealing with media, there should be a reasonable level of skepticism and an effort to verify the information presented. This is a noble approach in dealing with information from the media. Believing immediately might be costly, especially in matters that concern health and well-being in life. Although testimonies are helpful, the motives of these testimonies should also be analyzed if they are only meant to help sell the product. By doing this, we can be protected from the hype and glut perpetrated by the media. Another pathological rationalism is the speech of Iran’s President at Columbia University. In the interest of free speech, he was allowed to address American students although he is known for his extremist views about developing nuclear weapons and making war with Israel. If people would start believing in him right away, he would create havoc. Yet, effective research should be done to verify and counter the arguments he presented.

Why Governments Regulate The Health Care Industry Economics Essay

Why Governments Regulate The Health Care Industry Economics Essay In the first part of the essay we define market failure and look at the model of perfect market, we then compare this with health care market and find out the causes or factors that results in failure in the health care market. In the second part we will look at the ways governments in four different countries have intervened to ensure that the causes of the market failure are corrected. Market failure can defined as a situation whereby there is a failure to achieve an efficient allocation of resources within the market economy. A fundamental problem with the concept of market failure, as economists occasionally recognize, is that it describes a situation that exists everywhere (Nelson, 1987; Dahlman, 1979). There are different kinds of market that exist in the society with the perfect market and monopoly at the extremes and the others in between this spectrum. Perfect Market The perfect market model also referred to as a perfect competition is the most important model because it serves a benchmark from which other kinds of market can be viewed. The main objective of any firm in the market is to maximise profit and the price of the goods and services are determined by market forces. The perfect market is based on the following assumptions; There is full information, The transactions are impersonal, There are no barriers to entry or exit, There are many buyer and sellers, and they cannot influence the market price, The products are homogenous which means that the buyers cannot differentiate between products. Finally the goods are private goods. Why is health care market different? The first reason for this is that health care is a public good which is different from a private good as seen in the perfect market model, public good has two features, non-rivalrous which means that the use of it by one person does not stop another from benefitting from it, and it is non-excludable this means it will difficult to prevent people from enjoying the benefits. With public good there is what is known as a free-rider problem people will not pay for them because others are willing to pay for them. The nature of public goods poses a problem for the market because the private sector will not make a profit from their provision since everyone can enjoy it whether they pay or not. Health care is also a public good and under provision of it also leads to market failure. Health care is also a merit good that society values and believes that people should have them because consumption is believed to generate positive externalities-this will be discussed in the next paragraph as we ll as other causes of market failure. Causes of market failure in health care 1. Externalities Externalities also referred to as third-party effects occur when others are affected by the transaction arising from the production and consumption of health care for which the costs or benefits are not taken into account.The core of the argument against market failure analysis is derived from the study of transactions. (Zerbe et al p7).Whenever there is a transaction externalities are known to occur which leads to transaction costs. This is defined as the resources necessary to transfer, establish and maintain property rights. The property rights was developed by R H Coase where he stated that individuals form firms to reduce transaction costs. Externalities may arise in different ways and they may be either positive (beneficial) or negative (harmful), and can be during production or consumption. Examples of negative externality is smoking which results in external costs on a third party passive smoking and also alcohol ingestion can lead to antisocial behaviour. Vaccination agains t infectious diseases is a form of positive externality where an individual is certain of protection by the consumption of another person. An example of external cost of production is via pollution from an industry and external benefits of production is the patent rights given to firm that discovered a new drug, stopping all other firms from copying the products. When there are externalities in health care this will not lead to a perfect market hence market failure will occur. The externalities discussed so far can be referred to as selfishly motivated. There is externality referred to as caring externality which occurs when individuals get personal satisfaction from knowing that a person is getting the health care they need. Externalities are around us every day but they are not taken into account whenever there is a transaction, this is because property rights are not well defined. Health care is not owned by anyone so therefore there is economic incentive to protect it and the on ly way the property rights can be well defined and protected will be through government regulation e.g. by banning smoking in public places and also making vaccinations compulsory. Even with government legislation it is difficult to achieve this. (Zerbe,1976,1980;Medema and Zerbe,1999a),in a world in which property rights are fully specified and in which transaction costs are zero, the allocation of resources will be efficient. This kind of world does not exist, this is an indication that market failure will always occur. 2. Imperfect information Economics is concerned with the efficient use of limited productive resources for the purpose of attaining the maximum satisfaction of our material wants (Jackson and McConnell, 1985, p3), this involves transacting parties utilising these resources to meet and satisfy their wants. This is based on the assumption that the parties have full information about the goods and services being bought or sold and also about each other. These assumptions describe a market where there is perfect information (Stiglitz, 1993).In the health care there is imperfect information and/or information asymmetry. Information asymmetry can be defined (using the acquisition of health insurance as a classical example) as situation whereby client that wants to get a health insurance has more detailed information about himself than the insurance company. Imperfect information is the case of a physician who has more knowledge than patients. The uncertainty of illness and the cost of it when it arises is one the principal reasons for taking health insurance. Two problems arise whenever there is insurance cover; these are adverse selection and moral hazard. Information asymmetry and adverse selection was first described by George Akerlof in his article, The market for lemons: Quality, Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism. Adverse selection is often referred to as a hidden information problem in a market, where for example sellers may know more about a product than a customer. (Estrin and Laidler). During the 1980s, when HIV/AIDS was first discovered insurance companies suffered from adverse selection as a lot on individuals with this disease took increased insurance cover without disclosing their status. This led to the suggestion that genetic testing should be used for individuals who may wish to acquire health insurance.The concept moral hazard was first defined by the French economist Dreze in 1961 (Mooney 1994, p 135), but it is often described as a hidden action because it results in be havioural changes in patients once their expected losses are covered by health insurance. Ehrlich and Becker (1972) distinguished between ex ante and ex post moral hazard. The former occur in a healthy state when individuals can engage in preventive care such as regular exercises and good eating habits and the latter when the individual is ill, but since the health be it taxation or other forms of health insurance which allows a subsidise price or free at the point of use, there is a greater demand by the patient than it will be if the patient was to pay all the costs. Donaldson and Gerard (1993, p 31), comments,thus, the market fails to transmit efficient price signals to consumers. Donaldson and Gerrard (1993) identified two types of provider moral hazard. They identify moral hazard by doctors who are identifiable actors in the health care system and also moral hazard by hospitals. Doctors are known to act on behalf of the patients both as the demander and supplier of services and do not account for the cost. First on the supply side they are the provider of health care and on the demand side there is information asymmetry. There are different reimbursement which affects doctors attitudes and two that affects the patients attitudes ( charges to patients, private practice).Provider moral hazard occurs most commonly with the fee-for-service (FFS) reimbursement doctors are paid on the quantity of services; more services will result in a higher income. Therefore there is a financial incentive for physicians to provide care in excess of what the patients may require if they had full information. There is not much literature on hospital moral hazard so this can be a n area for future development. 3. Imperfect competition The perfect market provide the best means of making sure that the economy is efficient by encouraging firms to compete and also creating choice. These conditions for efficiency serve as a benchmark to help identify sources of allocative inefficiency referred to as market failures. But in the real world the perfect market does not exist as Hausman argued, when taken literally, the notion of market failure is of little relevance, because perfectly competitive equilibrium, the benchmark against which market fail, does not obtain. Despite this the competitive market have been used on the assumptions on which it was formed, as Amelia Fletcher, Director of Markets and Policies Initiatives commented, Competition is a rivalrous process, in which firms compete effectively to give the consumers a better deal. The question is that is this obtainable in health care with the uncertainty that surrounds ill health? The first problem here is the limited information has about the outcomes and benefit s of various medical treatments. Individuals rarely have the same illness over time so there is little opportunity to acquire information and even on those with long standing chronic illness like diabetes who may have information. The changing world of advanced technologies means that there will be information disparities. Oligopoly is the dominant market model in health care and McPake and Normand (2008, p 141) noted, the key feature of an oligopoly is that the decision made by one firm depends on the decision made by other firms, i.e. there is a high degree of interdependence between firms. Thus there may be incentives for hospitals to collude which results in adverse outcomes for the society. It is generally accepted that competition works best when there is excess capacity, but in health care there is excess demand. 4. Inequality and poverty An individual ability to purchase health care depends upon his income to a large extent. In standard economic theory its the ability and willingness to pay that determines how resources are maximally utilised but this does not happen in the real world as we have noted from previous sections in this essay. Goodwin (2005) commented that, hospitals make demand and other raw materials from suppliers with the expectation that the final products will be bought by consumers-the demand by consumers are those backed by the consumers ability to pay. So what is important in a perfect market is effective demand i.e., there is distribution of resources to meet the basic human needs. Therefore if for example few wealthy people desire a particular commodity and many poor people lack money to purchase basic health needs then the market will be stimulated to create those commodities for the rich, hence the market will fail. Government intervention and regulation of health care market From our discussion it can be seen that intervention is necessary to counteract the causes of market failure as well as the consequences such as adverse selection and moral hazard. Boadway and Wildasin (1984, p 61) suggest that, while typically the remedy for market failure due to public goods is for the public sector to provide the good, the remedy for externalities is often to provide incentives to the private sector to produce the correct amount. We will examined detailed evidence from four countries: the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA),France and Finland to ascertain how they intervene and regulate their health care systems. Methods of government intervention 1. State provision One of the main ways of solving market failure is through public funding of the health service. In the UK, France and Finland hospitals are funded through taxes but in UK it is through general taxation while France and Finland use a social insurance system. This system ensures universal coverage for the population, prevents exploitation of patients by monopoly of providers. The main problem is the issue moral hazard which is more common in publicly tax funded system in UK than the social insurance system of Finland and France. In the UK the issue of moral hazard is controlled by using gatekeepers, waiting lists, waiting times. In France and Finland price mechanism is used to deter moral hazard. Compared to the USA where it is more of private insurance, co-payments, deductibles and medical savings account schemes have been used as ways of reducing moral hazard. Donaldson and Gerard (1993, p 72) argued that, even the US health care system recognises the shortcomings of a total reliance upon market forces. The main form of government regulation there is in the form of insurance schemes for elderly people (Medicare) and indigent people (Medicaid). But in the USA, adverse selection is very common and it also occurs in UK but to a lesser extent, but this is almost non-existent in the social insurance system (France and Finland). 2. Taxation and subsidies Imperfections in the market lead to inefficient allocation of resources and this leads to negative or positive externalities. Taxation is used to discourage certain behaviours like monopolising and overpricing and subsidies can help to reduce the cost of paying for merit goods like health care. Governments in all four countries for example in order to reduce the negative externalities caused by smoking introduced taxes for the purchase for cigarettes and also legislate that companies should advertise the dangers of smoking on the pack of cigarettes sold.Antirust legislation are passed in all four countries e.g. law prohibiting the formation of monopolies and preventing imperfect competition. 3. Regulation Dolan and Olsen (2002), commented that there is constant pressure for more spending in most health services around the world, therefore policy makers have to impose regulatory measures on the providers of services to achieve efficient allocation of the resources. Regulation can be through price control, quality control e.t.c. Regulation of pharmaceuticals is one area where most of government intervention occur, for example in the UK, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence(NICE) issues guidelines on which drugs are approved and can also be used. Also sets a ceiling on how much the cost should be but one main disadvantage is that it can exclude the use of new and effective treatment because of the costs. In USA there is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which also a regulatory body. In France there is the Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Produits de Sante (AFSSAPS), and in Finland the National Agency for Medicines. 4. Cost benefit analysis Government intervention must take into account the cost benefit analysis, if the benefits are more than the costs. Then the government should collect taxes and provide the good. Government failure Government failure can occur when mechanisms put in place to improve the market failure worsens the situation and lead to inefficiency and inequity in the health care and also create distortion. The following can result in government failure; 1. Inefficiency of State provision In all four countries political self interest can lead to inefficiency and worsen the market failure already present because politicians can design policies to retain power rather than maximise efficiency. In France and Finland the taxation is usually higher and results in more expenditure and in the UK the citizens do not know how much is been used for health care and other sectors of the economy. 2. Changes in government policies In the USA insurance firms can find it difficult to plan without knowledge of taxes, subsidies e.t.c and this will lead to inefficiency. 3.Free markets usually leads to more efficient provision of health care(USA as an example) which allows the law of demand and supply to determine how the market works 4. Lack of incentives Undesirable incentives usually create inefficiencies, for example in France where doctors are paid by salary in some hospitals this will lead to inefficiency. 5. Lack of information Government can lack information just as much as the market because most times the government do not know what kind of health care the consumer really needs and provides this based on the information they have and may not even know the full costs/benefits of the policy. 6. Bureaucracy Most times procedures of the government are usually cumbersome and this cuts across all the four countries. Governments respond more slowly to changes and also the time it takes from planning to implementation may cause policies to be ineffective. Conclusion Market failure is known to exist in all market economy and the health market is not an exception. It has been shown that there reasons why health care market may not work efficiently, thereby necessitating government intervention. Health care is a public good and coupled with the externalities and information gaps are causes of market failure which requires correction but a sufficient justification for government intervention. Intervention is known to be costly, so therefore for it to be effective a cost-benefit analysis to suggest it is worthwhile needs to undertaken to avoid government failure which lead to market failure in itself.