Ethical Issues In U.S. Immigration Policies Essays - Demography

Ethical Issues In U.S. Immigration Policies The sun seems unrelenting as it beats down on the two families huddled together in a rickety makeshift boat. The rafters have been floating in the open sea for what seems to them like years. Their food and water supplies have run out and the littlest ones cry out of hunger. But the keep going. Because they know that once their feet touch the land of opportunity their prayers will be answered. Finally, their raft makes it to the ankle-deep waters and they are only a few short steps away from dry land and freedom. As quickly as the wave of relief and happiness rushes over the rafters, so does it disappear. The Coast Guard is there and telling them that they will be shipped back. So close to freedom. Other families know what its like to have freedom snatched away. After years of working six days a week for miniscule wages, sewing dresses or picking vegetables, they have had freedom and the opportunity of a better life taken away after being rounded up by Immigration Naturalization Services and deported back to Guatemala, Honduras, or Mexico. These are only two examples of the travesties that occur daily in the land of opportunity and freedom?the Unites States of America. The United States was built by immigrants, many seeking a new life in a new land. Before 1882, anyone could move to the United States. As the population grew, however, the Federal government decided to control immigration. But they have done this in a very inconsistent manner, letting some people in from one country more than others from another country. The current U.S. immigration policy is immoral, unethical and inconsistent in its dealings with immigrants. Early immigration laws aimed to preserve the racial, religious, and ethnic composition of the United States, which was then largely European (Wilbanks, 1993, p.1). The first immigration laws were aimed at nonwhites. In 1882, for example, the Chinese Exclusion Act suspended immigration from China for sixty years. In addition, in 1907, President Roosevelt, negotiated an informal ?gentleman's agreement? with Japan, under which the United States promised to desegregate its California schools in exchange for the promise from the Japanese government to stop the immigration of its citizens (Anderson, 1998, p.2). Soon, however, Americans were complaining about European immigrants as well, especially those of eastern and southern Europe. As a consequence, Congress passed a new law in 1921 based on quotas; only a certain number of individuals with a given background or heritage could move to the United States. And only 30 percent of those could be from eastern or southern Europe (Anderson, 1998, p.2). Again in 1952, we see the same kind of discrimination when President Truman signed the McCarran-Walter Act. Under this law, ideology became a criterion for admission. Political beliefs were questioned as the government sought to weed out people with even a marginally communist background (Wilbanks, 1993, p.4). In the last half of the century new laws emerged seeking to abolish quotas that discriminated against nationalities, replacing it instead with an overall limit of immigrants allowed into the country. These new policies, however, not only did not end discrimination and unethical treatment against immigrants but also touched off a serious illegal immigration problem. The latest and most extensive of these laws came with the 1996 Immigration Act which doubled the U.S.-Mexico border control force to 10,000 agents over five years and adds fences to the most heavily trafficked areas of the U.S.-Mexico border. The controversy over immigration emerges between advocates of the open door policy and those who support restrictions on immigration. Those Americans who support restrictions on the number of immigrants allowed into the United States annually feel that our country is ?running out of room? (Carr, 199, p.2). They also feel that we are being overrun by immigrants who intent on draining our resources. On the other hand, those who support an open-door policy, feel that the unethical treatment of immigrants must stop. These open-door supporters argue that the 700,000 immigrants allowed into the country annually is not enough. This overall limit should be lifted and replaced with an open-door policy, which would allow any number of people in without question. These supporters also

Versions of Libertarianism

Versions of Libertarianism Introduction The doctrine of libertarianism entails that people have inherent or natural rights. These rights should not be taken away (Shaw and Vincent 15). It is an immoral act for anyone or for the governments to deny people their rights.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Versions of Libertarianism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Examples of these natural rights include the right to own property, the right to personal autonomy and the right to use unused resources. According to this school of thought, the society can cooperate and coexist well when people respect their natural rights. The paper delineates the two versions of libertarianism namely total libertarianism and moderate libertarianism. Total libertarianism According to this version of libertarianism, people are protected by the government. The government has the obligation of ensuring that all the rights of people are protected. The government needs to fo rmulate rules that ensure individuals are well protected. Therefore, the citizens should be protected from activities like breach of contracts, fraud, theft and any subjection of force. Moderate libertarianism This version of libertarianism ensures that the government protects free and fair competition in the markets. People should be allowed to carry on with their businesses and other activities without restriction provided they are not violating the rights of others. For instance, there should be no monopolies, oligopolies and integrations in the market. The market should be free to allow people make progress in their duties without restrictions.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Strengths of total libertarianism One of the strengths of total libertarianism is that it ensures that people are protected from mistreatment. People have equal rights and nobody should violate the m. Further, it ensures that people coexist well in a society. It fosters transparency and honesty in the society as people respect each other’s rights. For instance, no person should steal someone’s property as this would amount to violation of natural rights. Weaknesses One weakness is that it is difficult for human beings to govern themselves. Therefore, a government should be formed to ensure that these rights are practiced. Further, the government, which is bestowed the responsibility of ensuring the protection, may not have the right mechanism or may be biased in its decisions, hence can have negative impact on the process. Strength of the moderate libertarianism This ensures that people cooperate and coexist with one another without restrictions or limitations. It enhances unity in the society. Moreover, it promotes the spirit of togetherness and discipline in a society as people make decisions at free will. Weaknesses libertarianism This form of government poses a risk of exploitation, especially in situations when it does not participate in decision-making. For instance, it leads to monopolies that may exploit innocent people.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Versions of Libertarianism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People may take the law in their hands and cause harm to others due to the absence of a body like the government to monitor their moves. Of these two free market philosophies, total libertarianism makes more sense. It ensures that the rights of an individual are fully protected. No person is supposed to be deprived of such rights. Therefore, this allows people in a society to respect and coexist with one another well. This philosophy best addresses the current unequal distribution of wealth. The society is required to use what they have and assist one another. It is the right of every individual to own property and use available resources to uplift his/her li fe. Therefore, total libertarianism gives an equal opportunity for every member of the society to use resources to amass wealth. There is no restriction, hence it can help to alleviate unequal wealth distribution facing the world today. Shaw, William, and Vincent Barry. Moral Issues in Business. 12th ed. Paperback, 2012. Print.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

History - Essay Example In over four hundred years ago, some of the settlers and Europeans coexisted peacefully, while others fought each other. Even today, many people are still migrating to America to seek a better life. Although slave trade is outdated, there is a high rise of illegal immigrants. Immigration is relevant in today’s world; it has a great impact on the economy. People who run factories, restaurants and farms, find immigrants helpful in their businesses. Immigrants are a cheap source of labor. Therefore, this means low operating costs, high profits, and low prices for commodities produced. For some Americans, immigrants are a hurt to the economy, for instance, high school drop outs who are seeking jobs say immigrants are interfering with the job entry level to take lower wages. Other groups in the society believe immigrants provide a great source of labor, which result to high yield. Immigrants spending on necessities like food, shelter and clothing leads to an increase in domestic gross product. Immigration has resulted to an increase in population, with an estimate of 82% increase from the immigrants. The immigrants come with a positive attitude to excel; they are known to be creative, industrious and adventurous. Many of the immigrants start their businesses that contribute to revenue. In social circles, racism is experienced towards the immigrants, especially the minority groups. For instance, racism exists between the Africa Americans and the non-white Latino immigrants. Attacks and fights have also been experienced between African immigrants and Africa Americans. Because of migration, religion has great diverse in America. For instance, increase in Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Politically, most of the immigrants associate with groups that address immigration issues. The issue of shared amenities is believed to strain a state with time. For instance, if water sources are not increased, then people will

Analysis of a foreign film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of a foreign film - Essay Example The major characters are Li Mu Bai ( Chow Yun Fat), Yu Shu Lien ( Michelle Yeoh), Yu Jiaolong ( Zhang Zhi-Yi), Jade Fox ( Chang Chen). The movie’s plot is great due to its historical undertones and stimulating conflict which makes the story interesting for the viewers. Even from 100 critics nationwide, it was hailed as â€Å"Best Picture of the Year† according to Sony pictures. The over-all direction can be credited to Ang Lee who is also known for the masterpiece â€Å"Sense and Sensibility†. Thus, the fusion of evocative drama and balletic martial arts is enough to entertain even a jaded moviegoer. Moreover, the story’s theme does not only focus on revenge but also on a love story that is failed from the very start. The rating given to the movie is PG-13 due to martial arts violence and sexuality. Nevertheless, the movie is appealing to moviegoers of all ages. From the characters alone, one would observe that this movie is very Asian as ethnic Chinese actors were used in this movie. The first theme that one would see in the movie is â€Å"hidden love† that eventually became a failed love affair. Yu Shu Lien and Li-Mu Bai have feelings for one another but they have so much respect for the one person they both loved. This makes them live their whole life with so much longing for each other. Although both of them are considered might warriors, they are both cowards when it comes to expressing their love for one another. This a characteristic of Asian cultures where one would place self-sacrifice over personal gains. Here, love is forbidden because they chose to do so. It was excruciating to see them subtly expressing their affection for one another through looks or subtle verbal messages. Unfortunately, they both lose the chance to express that love since Li Mu Bai died from poison darts. Love is such a terrible thing to waste and Yu Shu Lien felt the pangs of regret. Aside from these two characters, another parallel love

Criminal Law Problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal Law Problem question - Essay Example The relevant facts in the Kennedy case are substantially similar to the facts in the given problem. In Kennedy, as in the case of Edward, the defendant merely prepared a dose of heroin for the deceased. It was the deceased who self-administered the drug as in Lisa's case. In the Kennedy case, the court ruled that defendant Kennedy cannot be held criminally liable for manslaughter. Applying the Kennedy ruling, then Edward cannot likewise be held criminally liable for Lisa's death because Edward was not the one who injected the deceased with the drug. Under the same principle, Sarah cannot likewise be held criminally liable for Lisa's death as she was not the one who injected Lisa with the drug. Notably, Edward (unlike in Kennedy) was not also the one who gave the syringe to the deceased. If Kennedy (who was the one who gave the syringe to the deceased) is not criminally liable, then a fortiori Edward should not also be held criminally liable for Lisa's death since he was not even the one who gave the syringe to the deceased. In ruling for the defendant, the Kennedy court had occasion to discuss the elements of the crime of unlawful act manslaughter: (1) that the defendant committed an unlawful act; (2) that such unlawful act was a crime and (3) that the defendant's unlawful act was a significant cause of the death of the deceased. In the given problem, Edward admittedly committed an unlawful (and criminal) act by supplying the heroin to the deceased. The mere act of supplying heroin, however, could not have possibly caused Lisa's death since "the supply of drugs would itself have caused no harm unless the deceased had subsequently used the drugs in a form and quantity which was dangerous."2 Clearly, any unlawful act manslaughter charge cannot be based on the mere act of supplying the heroin. According to the Kennedy court, the heroin (as in the given problem) is described as "freely and voluntaril

Social Structure Of Mesopotamians And Egyptians History Essay

Social Structure Of Mesopotamians And Egyptians History Essay The social structure from one empire to another can vary a lot. It depended mostly on the wealth of the empire, the way the empire came to be, and other factors. In the case of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, there were some similarities, but also some differences. Those differences included the social roles that women played in their respective empires, among other things. The Mesopotamian Empire had many opportunities to accumulate wealth. Thus, their social structure became much more clearly defined than other Neolithic communities. In early Mesopotamia, the ruling class consisted of kings and nobles who previously were great warriors. Later on, however, royal status became hereditary. The royal class was looked upon highly, and people often thought of them as part divine. Next in the social chain were the priests and priestesses, many of whom were related to the rulers in some way. Their main responsibility was to intervene with the gods and ensure good fortune for their communities. In exchange for this service, priests and priestesses led a luxurious life. Also in the social structure were free commoners. They mostly worked as farmers in the countryside or in other manufacturing jobs. Dependent clients were another class in the social structure. They possessed no property and usually worked as agricultural laborers. The last rung on the social lad der were slaves. Slaves came from three main sources: prisoners of war, convicted criminals, and people who sold themselves into slavery in order to satisfy their obligations. Most slaves were domestic servants in wealthy households, but some worked as agricultural laborers as well. The Egyptian social structure had some similarities and differences. Like the Mesopotamians, Egyptians had a well-defined social class system. Also, the Egyptian peasants and slaves played a similar role in society as the Mesopotamian peasants and slaves. However, the organization of the ruling classes differed significantly. While Mesopotamians had a series of urban kings, Egyptians had one supreme, central ruler called the pharaoh. The Egyptians had no need for nobles since the pharaoh was the absolute ruler. Instead, Egyptians relied on professional military forces and government officials. This allowed for individuals of common birth to have a higher likelihood of attaining high positions compared to Mesopotamians. The differences between the social classes of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians allowed each of them to have their own unique empires. The conditions of women were also very different between the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians. In Mesopotamia, women had subordinate legal status. However, they did have a certain amount of influence politically, economically, and socially. At ruling courts in Mesopotamia, women sometimes advised the government. Other held great power as high-ranking priestesses. Other Mesopotamian women were able to receive a formal education and pursue a career. Unfortunately, Mesopotamian men began to progressively tighten their control over the social and sexual behavior of women in the second millennium B.C.E. Egyptian women were able to have an even bigger impact on society. There was a time when a woman pharaoh took power (Queen Hatshepsut). Other women also had substantial amounts of power as priestesses. Some got formal educations as well. The Mesopotamian and Egyptian social structures had both differences and similarities. Both empires social systems were well-defined, and included similar roles for peasants and slaves. However, the rest of their system was somewhat different, especially their ruling classes. Though both gave women some social influence, Egyptians provided more powerful opportunities for women. Both empires had a successful and well-enforced social class system.

Finding My Way Home :: Personal Narrative Religion Christianity Essays

Finding My Way Home I was the king and master of my domain, and all that I saw was good. When I decided to write new chapters in my life in the world of College Academia, I entered a realm that was anything but familiar to me. Constant battles and trials raging day and night for each month of my freshman year became known as Hades’ Gauntlet. The first challenge I faced was dealing with the seeds of conspiracy and betrayal. I was the leader in my church’s youth group for a few years, where I led my â€Å"friends† into a positive direction of peace and prosperity. Around the same time I started my college journeys, I was at my finest hour. I saw success, happiness, and admiration of many people around me. But what I didn’t see was the hidden jealousy and hatred a few people had towards me and storms over the horizon. I found myself in a dispute with a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and because his significant other at the time is the daughter of the head of the youth group, he decided it was best to banish me from the youth group and strip away my duties and sources of accomplishment and hope. He then handed over my reigns to his daughter, who treated me as harshly as the executioner to the prisoner. To add to it, he persuaded the Senior Pastor to prevent me from being in any leadership positi ons, in an effort to encourage/force me to leave the church completely. He also did this, because he, for some reason, resented my father, who decided to leave my church one month before I started my college life. What did I do to deserve this? Suddenly, the skies turned black, and this was a direct reflection of the pain I experienced. A perfectly good ministry turned into the vulture’s nest, then into a mockery of what was true and what was right. I felt that every time I walked into the same church I’ve been in my whole life, I now entered enemy lines. Each second the vipers gazed their eyes upon me, I could feel their venomous strikes invading my heart, filling it with poison. I was no longer home, and my church became a prison to me, where I was fed to the mob and the Triad of Traitors.

What representation of American Social Class is there in the first four scenes of Falling Down?

The opening scene of Falling Down immediately establishes the location of the film, America; this is obvious to the audience with the American cars and yellow school bus with the stars and stripes hanging on the side. The lead character played by Michael Douglas is established as a white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant (WASP) who is supposedly the most privileged class in American society. He is meant to represent the typical American white-collar worker. The audience gets this impression of D-Fens (Michael Douglas) because he is smartly dressed with a white shirt and tie, he wears glasses, he's cleanly shaven and is driving a typical American family sedan. This first impression of D-Fens is subsequently taken apart throughout the film and the audience later finds out that he is unemployed and discontent with American society. D-Fens' car and the way he acts give the audience a early clue that he is not all that he seems. D-Fens is stuck in a traffic jam and getting more and more frustrated by the things around him, he reacts very violently to the fly in his car and thrashes around trying to kill it, this gives the audience an indication that he is quite a violent person when he gets annoyed. Another indication is when D-Fens tries to cool himself down and his air conditioning system doesn't work, so he tries to open the window but the handle is broken, the car is like a metaphor for D-Fens' life shabby, worn out and not like it used to be. There is quite a range of different social classes represented in the opening scene all seen from D-Fens' point of view. In the back seat of the car in front of D-Fens is a young Hispanic girl who is staring impassively at him watching his frustration and breakdown unfold. D-Fens seems uneasy about this maybe because it reminds him of his own daughter and he feels ashamed that he can't drive her to school anymore. This girl is shown in contrast to the children on the bus who are noisy and happy whereas she is silent. She is sad looking and the car she's in is also old these things make the audience think she also doesn't have the happy life that the American dream is supposed to offer. This immediately brings up the question of race in the film and whether people from minority ethnic groups have the same opportunities as WASP's. The camera then pans across to show another white-collar worker, a middle-aged woman putting on bright lipstick and trying to make herself look younger, this gives the impression that she feels threatened perhaps by younger women in her work place. The next vehicle that comes into shot is the typical American school bus the children are very noisy and annoying, there is also a mixture of races represented and they appear to be getting along with each other. There is a black boy that is staring at D-Fens in much the same way as the Hispanic girl and it appears that non-WASPs are more of a threat to D-Fens and this perhaps suggests he is racist. Next to the school bus is a new sporty, convertible with two yuppies in the front seats. They can be categorized like this because they have mobile phones, a nice car, and smart suits. They are represented as aggressive and impatient as the driver is honking his horn for no apparent reason. They are rude and loud on the phone and they appear arrogant because they don't feel that they should be stuck in the traffic jam with everyone else. They seem to epitomise capitalism in America and the type of people that become rich and successful in a capitalist society. There are also representations of American society shown on the three bumper stickers that D-Fens looks at. The first one says â€Å"Financial Freedom phone †¦ † this also shows capitalism in America and that fact that many people live in debt and see themselves as being trapped with only money being the way out. The next sticker says â€Å"He died for our sins† and this shows how religious orientated American society is. The last one says â€Å"How's my driving? Phone 1-800 EAT SHIT! † this just shows how uncaring American society has become with many people being stuck in poverty, whilst many others are living in luxury. The flashing ‘Delay' lights, the heat, noise and smoke all come together and the quick straight edits from each of these elements build up the sense of desperation and threat until D-Fens finally has enough and gets out of his car and tells the man behind him that he's â€Å"going home†. This phrase is repeated throughout the film and it becomes D-Fens' quest. ‘Home' is not literally his house but back to a time when D-Fens felt less threatened from foreign immigrants or non-WASPs, a time when his role in society was more defined and he was a family man and a breadwinner, a time when he felt proud of America and its people. In the next scene the second main character, Prendergast, is introduced. He also appears to be a white-collar worker and a WASP but he is slightly older than D-Fens, his reaction to the traffic jam is in contrast to D-Fens' because he is more relaxed and doesn't let it frustrate him. He is represented as a wise old cop who is from the old school of policing and he is contrasted with the young arrogant policeman on the motorbike who enjoys his power but turns out to be a less competent cop than Prendergast. There is also a smarmy salesman on the scene trying to offer the young cop help, which he rejects. He talks about his trade and how he gives discounts for officers of the law, this suggests that money can influence police and that they are corrupt. The third scene represents a single mother who turns out to be D-Fens' ex-wife, she is shown as stressed and overworked having to get the groceries, walk the dog and look after the child all at once. The house appears to be nice, quite large with a garden and white picket fence and it seems to represent the ideal American family home, although there are signs of it starting to fall into disrepair with the paint on the house peeling off and the front garden being untidy. This shows how D-Fens used to have a nice traditional family life and the suburban idyllic house that went with it, that's when it used to be ‘home'. There is also a sign of how gun culture is very much part of American society with D-Fens' young daughter playing with a realistic looking toy gun and learning from a young age the power that you can have by possessing a gun. The fourth scene represents an immigrant shopkeepers in particular a Korean man. It opens with the well dressed, white D-Fens walking into a poor area of the city, this is shown by the graffiti on the walls, the rubbish on the streets and the fact that there are metal bars over the windows to keep the small shop secure. The Korean shopkeeper is dressed in old, unfashionable clothes and he appears quite impoverished because his till is very old fashioned and he is wary of a WASP coming into his shop in this area. This shows the separation of communities in America and the lack of trust between them. D-Fens is very racist towards the shopkeeper in this scene and he shows no respect for him when he marches in and asks for change without even having eye contact with the shopkeeper. D-Fens sees himself as being dominant over the Korean man and he sets the price of 50cents for the can of Coke and he takes control. He sees the immigrant as inferior to him because he is a WASP and he still has the ideals of the time before. D-Fens is racist because he mocks the Korean mans accent and the fact that he can't pronounce the ‘V' in five, then because the man is Asian he immediately assumes that he's Chinese and this is a typical ignorant view of an American who are traditionally insular in their views. This is shown again later on in the film when Prendergast immediately assumes that his fellow Japanese cop can understand the Korean man. When D-Fens finds out the man is Korean he says about the foreign aid that his country has given to Korea and he therefore feels that this man owes him and in saying ‘my country' he implies that the Korean man doesn't belong there. The image of the American flag is used once again in this scene when the container full of flags is smashed on the floor in a struggle between the two characters. This shows how immigrants feel that they have to be visibly patriotic towards America to fit in with society. The broken glass container could also be a symbol for how communities are now broken in America. Or it could symbolise how the American dream is broken for this shopkeeper and also significantly for D-Fens. D-Fens then says that he is â€Å"going to take prices back to 1965† before violently smashing up the shop. This period of time is what D-Fens associates with â€Å"home† because at this time WASPs were the dominating group in society and there was prejudice against other ethnic groups, this was a time when he felt accepted and valued in society and he was a happy family man living the American dream and this is a time he wants to return to. The Korean shopkeeper is obviously used to violence and robberies living in the area that he does because he gets on the floor and shouts â€Å"Take the money! this is seen as a major insult to D-Fens because he sees himself as middle-class and in his opinion robbery is a thing that poor working class people do. He also feels that he is justified in terrorising this shop because all he wanted was some change for the phone. This scene has been interpreted by many people as being racist and this is an understandable view because the Korean man is represented in a negative way. He is rude and scruffy whereas D-Fens is represented almost like a hero figure with traditional Hollywood hero lines and he appears to be fighting for consumer rights.

Properties and Functions of Money

Properties and Functions of Money Money is an important feature of virtually every economy. Without money, members of a society must rely on the barter system, or some other exchange program, in order to trade goods and services. Unfortunately, the barter system has an important downside in that it requires a double coincidence of wants. In other words, the two parties engaged in a trade must both want what the other is offering. This feature makes the barter system highly inefficient. For example, a plumber looking to feed his family would have to search out a farmer who needs plumbing work done on his house or farm. If such a farmer were not available, the plumber would have to figure out how to trade his services for something that the farmer wanted so that the farmer would be willing to sell food to the plumber. Luckily, money largely solves this problem. What Is Money? In order to understand much of macroeconomics, its crucial to have a clear definition of what money is. In general, people tend to use the term money as a synonym for wealth (e.g. Warren Buffett has a lot of money), but economists are quick to clarify that the two terms are not, in fact, synonymous. In economics, the term money is used specifically to refer to currency, which is, in most cases, not an individuals only source of wealth or assets. In most economies, this currency is in the form of paper bills and metal coins that the government has created, but technically anything can serve as money as long as it possesses three important properties. The Properties and Functions of Money The item serves as a medium of exchange. In order for an item to be considered money, it must be widely accepted as payment for goods and services. In this way, money creates efficiency because it eliminates uncertainty regarding what is going to be accepted as payment by various businesses.The item serves as a unit of account. In order for an item to be considered money, it must be the unit that prices, bank balances, etc. are reported in. Having a consistent unit of account creates efficiency since it would be pretty confusing to have the price of bread quoted as a number of fish, the price of fish quoted in terms of t-shirts, and so on.The item serves as a store of value. In order for an item to be considered money, it has to (to a reasonable degree) hold its purchasing power over time. This feature of money adds to efficiency because it gives producers and consumers flexibility in the timing of purchases and sales, eliminating the need to immediately trade ones income for goods a nd services. As these properties suggest, money was introduced to societies as a means of making economic transactions simpler and more efficient, and it mostly succeeds in that regard. In some situations, items other than officially designated currency have been used as money in various economies. For example, it used to be somewhat common in countries with unstable governments (and also in prisons) to use cigarettes as money, even though there was no official decree that cigarettes served that function. Instead, they became widely accepted as payment for goods and services and prices began to be quoted in the number of cigarettes rather than in official currency. Because cigarettes have a reasonably long shelf life, they do in fact serve the three functions of money. One important distinction between items that are officially designated as money by a government and items that become money by convention or popular decree is that governments will often pass laws stating what citizens can and cannot do with money. For example, it is illegal in the United States to do anything to money that makes the money unable to be further used as money. In contrast, there are no laws against burning cigarettes, aside from those banning smoking in public places of course.

The Real Meaning of a Labor Day in the United States

The Real Meaning of a Labor Day in the United States Labor Day: What it Means Have you ever known something special about the first Monday of September? Every year, it brings not only the beginning of the golden season of the year but a celebration of Labor Day. This day was created to honor all the working people in the country and all over the world. At this time, a national labor movement started to function in the USA, as well. Being persistent all year long, workers have a chance to enjoy a day for a rest. Nationwide people give gratitude to fortitude and powers of endurance of every single worker passionately discharging his or her obligations. The Holidays Adoption With each year, the government pays more attention to Labor Day. Therefore, it is a legal national holiday now. However, the situation was completely different before 1885. That days, the first bill was already elaborated but this proposal was not still accepted by the legislature. On February 21 in 1887 the Oregon authorities passed the law. Then, many states one by one took the same measures. Among them were: Massachusetts, Colorado, New York and New Jersey. Nebraska, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania followed only ten years after the bill was introduced to the government. Creator of Labor Day A century after Labor Day establishment, historians still argue about a person who came up with the idea of the holiday. There are some facts which witness Peter J. McGuire be one of the first initiators. He was a secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters, and Joiners and at the same time was an honorable member of the American Federation of Labor. Being active, McGuire took part in various social activities and has done a lot to promote the idea of Labor Day. How an Initial Celebration Was Held Previously, Central Labor Union developed a plan of the occasion. They have chosen New York to be the first city to meet the festivities. Starting from that time, 5th of September became a stable date of the day for all the states in America. Similar labor organizations step-by-step occurred in other states and worked out their strategies for civic activities and defending the rights of an average working man in the country. There is no doubt of the holidays significance. A century ago, people were persevering to get a right to live a fulfilling life. This holiday was a confirmation and remembrance of someone who spends his days and powers to invest in countrys economy and industry.

Institutions of Poverty in Guadalupe and Chavez Essay

Institutions of Poverty in Guadalupe and Chavez - Essay Example The manner in which each institution acts on the society is controlled by numerous factors. This is aimed at separating individuals who earn their income using unlawful means from ones who with legal sources of income. This is therefore what is represented by indigenous organizations. This separation is in regard to the geographic means since these institutions put into consideration areas with more security and ones with high crime rates. Normally, illegal groups live in the crime-ridden areas because they won't have to care about the police. This is due to the fact that there is no constant presence of police officers. On the other hand, social networks are organizations that aim at helping people to find jobs. One thing that is being noticed is that there are certain jobs which are exclusive to a certain ethnic-racial group since what really matters is the number of that group. The third institution, the local subculture, is responsible for controlling means through which a family gets aid (219). That is, the needs and mentality of the family are the main factors that will determine whether the family will be given the welfare’s aid or not. Usually, size and the role of each family member define the structure of the family. A neighborhood, ethnic group, and family structure are the other factors which influence these three institutions. First, the existence of police officers in certain neighborhoods provides the chance for the illegal networks to work away from police-view. Second, ethnicity is the major factor which the social networks put into consideration (who works where). This is acc ording to its assertion above that every certain race dominates certain kind of jobs. Furthermore, a big role is played by the family structure in the subcultures and determines the manner through which aid would be distributed among the members.

Science, enlightenment and politics, which was most important to your Essay

Science, enlightenment and politics, which was most important to your world - Essay Example Similar undercurrents of progressive thought were seen in the New World as well, most notably from such intellectuals such as Tom Paine and other proponents of American independence (Porter & Teich, 1981). The Enlightenment has had a profound impact on the cultural evolution of Western Europe in particular and the whole of the continent in general. A landmark piece of scholarship that turned the tables in favor of scientific reasoning is Newton’s analysis and description of natural physical phenomena. The immediate impact was discernible in written literature of the day, due to the scope of this medium of art (Brians, Paul, 1998). On the other hand, it took longer for ideas of the Enlightenment to penetrate into art forms such as music and painting due to the emphasis on traditionally acquired technique in these art forms. The Age of Enlightenment also gave birth to the neoclassical school of art, which found its highest expression in the Literature of the day. All forms of literature, ranging from prose, narrative verse, poetry, plays, etc were infused with newly discovered scientific truths and newly evolving systems of natural philosophy. Such luminaries as Alexander Pope, Phyllis Wheatley, Voltaire and Jonathan Swift among others were at the forefront of this paradigm change in socio-cultural expression. A special mention has to be made on the role of the Novel in this epoch making age. The broad scope of intellectual discourse offered by the Novel was utilized very cleverly and ingenuously by such writers as Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richarrdson, Henry Fielding, Aphra Behn, Fanny Burney, etc (Paul Brians, 1998). Given the revolutionary change in the cultural landscape that the Enlightenment affected, it is easy to see its relevance to the world of today. The field of enquiry where the ideas of the Enlightenment made radical changes was in the realm of political thought and systems of civil