Siddhartha Gautama and Buddhism

Introduction Born in the fifth century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama is the core founder of the Buddhist ideology. He came from a privileged family that offered him a providential upbringing.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Siddhartha Gautama and Buddhism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The world’s view of Buddhists attaches some paramount importance to his birth, as he is viewed as the figure that brought the truth that the religion upholds. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who led a faction that did not conform to the Hindu’s teachings. Therefore, it is apparent that Hinduism originated from the Hindu’s religion though it began as a reform movement from within Hinduism. Based on the words of Kinnard (2011), it is apparent, â€Å"Buddhism did not emerge from a religious vacuum† (p. 1). Vedas, which were oral texts that began in 1500 BC, are attributed to the early Buddhism. Gautama was a king who lived an exemplary life. However, when he was walking, he encountered people suffering from illness, old age, death issues, and hermits. This experience triggered his instincts. He decided to relinquish his pleasurable life to find the truth about the agony that people went through. The knowledge is summarized in the four noble truths, which include life means suffering, the cessation of suffering is attainable, the origin of suffering is attachment, and the path to the cessation of suffering. Noble truths of Buddha The first noble truth presents life as a form of enduring pain. According to Buddha, the life led by people is full of suffering and problems (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 16) because the world that they inhabit and human nature are not perfect enough to provide comfort to human beings.Advertising Looking for term paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During their existence, people go through a lot of agony. They endure a physical suffering that is subjected to their bodies (Kinnard, 2011, p. 4). Some of the sufferings that people encounter include injuries, sickness, pain, tiredness, and old age. People also encounter and endure emotional/psychological pains such as frustrations, sadness, disappointment, depression, and loneliness among many others (Kinnard, 2011, p. 1). These sufferings are experienced in different measures or degrees among different people. However, despite the sufferings, they also experience some occasions of happiness, easiness, and comfort. Nonetheless, in its totality, life remains imperfect because the world is subjected to more frustrations. The experiences made Buddha find out the truth about life. This therefore marked the journey of his quest to find the truth, hence â€Å"†¦the beginning of a six-year quest for awakening (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 15). As long as one can wish to try to keep his/her life happy and comfortable, he/she cannot maintain the status for the entire period of his/her lifetime. Therefore, the world is characterized by endless sufferings that individuals have to encounter. During his venture, he found a solution to these sufferings. He managed to identify the causes of why people suffer. His title changed to Buddha after he managed to succeed in finding the causes and solutions to the sufferings. In India, the religion was a door to prosperity in life especially when an individual performed his/her actions well. In fact, in the Vedas, â€Å"emphasis is on sacrificial action, work, and the correct performance of that action† (Kinnard, 2011, p. 4).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Siddhartha Gautama and Buddhism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The encounters and experiences that Buddha went through changed his life entirely. His father, Shuddhodhana, managed to keep him off from such scenes- scenes o f people dying, old ages, and in sickness until his old age. The second noble of truth is ‘the origin of suffering is attachment’. Suffering originates from people’s ignorance and their dear attachment or desire on the transient things that are amidst their lives (Kinnard, 2011, p. 56). These things are not only physical or materials things that people perceive and admire to have but also ideas that they have about acquiring any general things about life. People’s ignorance is manifested by their lack of understanding that their mind is attached to these transient /impermanent materials. The reasons why people suffer is due to their clinging and craving. The suffering is brought by their passion, desire, pursuit for wealth, prestige, ardor, and the quest to become rich and be famous and popular. Kinnard (2011, p.9) refers all these as the â€Å"hustle and bustle of the world.† Therefore, people will do everything to ensure that they achieve the thin gs that they desire. They fail to understand that their attachment to these things is transient. Therefore, it is inevitable that they must lose them in a bid to usher in suffering. Individuals will acquire these materials. However, they will again â€Å"fail to manage them properly† (Kinnard, 2011, p. 68). Losing them incepts or is the beginning of more problems, as people will begin to develop complications such as high blood pressures due to stress that occurs after the loss of what they desire. The notion of ‘self’ is also â€Å"one of the objects of attachment that is a delusion because an individual cannot abide by him/herself† (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 15). Self is only an imagined entity. In the nature of human beings, the universe will ever consume them.Advertising Looking for term paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third noble truth is that cessation of suffering is attainable. This implies that, as human beings, people have the capacity to avoid suffering in their life through causing nirodha. Nirodha is a terminology that means the process of unmasking conceptual attachments and sensual cravings (Kinnard, 2011, p. 65). Therefore, if human beings attain dispassion, they can eliminate the sufferings they go through. This noble truth provides a solution to the problems and sufferings that people encounter when living on earth. It is therefore possible to remove or eradicate suffering. The only way through is human activity, which entails the removal all causes of sufferings (Kinnard, 2011, p. 79). State of nivora i.e. freedom for troubles, worries, complexes, fabrications, and ideas needs to be managed by or attained by human beings’ own initiative of perfecting their dispassion. Therefore, people’s sufferings are something that they can avoid and or manage if they have the po wer and will not to do that. It remains a decision made by an individual. For instance, many people crave to lead certain kinds of life. Such imaginations increase suffering and agony to their life (Kinnard, 2011, p. 70). The secret however of overcoming such sufferings and agony in life is to avoid behaviors such as the desire to lead a comfortable life without hustles and earthly desires. The fourth noble of truth is the path to the cessation of suffering. It is the journey leading to the end of suffering. It stands out as a method or a way that helps an individual to seek improvement (Kinnard, 2011, p. 83). This fourth noble truth is at the middle of hedoism and asceticism, which lead to the end of the rebirth cycle. The truth manifests itself in many cases. As an individual makes progress gradually over time, the individual’s habits of delusions, craving, and ignorance begin to vanish until the person is able to lead a more comfortable life. In fact, in the six years of a wakening, Buddha exercised speculation and used time with leaders of the abstainers. During his stay, he was able to understand and master their systems, but was not convinced that he had found the answers that he was seeking on the source of human suffering. The experiences brought suffering to Buddha who became emaciated because of the puzzles of life (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 2). As he reveals, once they come to the world, people have no otherwise but to go through the sufferings until they die and depart from this world. The religion comprised of many gods that were believed to be divine. People offered sacrifices to these personified forces of nature with the hope of shunning the many calamities they were encountering. They therefore did praise worshiping besides offering sacrifices to the forces. In return, they got booms from these gods in terms of increased production, protection, healthy sons, and a long life. This is evidenced in the quotation â€Å"in return, humans rec eived booms from the gods-abundant crops, healthy sons, protection, and long lives† (Kinnard, 2011, p. 3). How the Four Noble Truths Apply in my Life Based on the expositions made in the paper about the four noble truths, it is apparent that they mean a lot, not only to me but also to any other person. Initially, I got worried whenever I faced any form of suffering. However, the four noble truths make it clear to me that, since the sufferings are inevitable and temporary, I should try to live as happily as possible without worrying about the future. I need not to worry because I am not rich. All I need is just enough to take me through today. The future will take care of itself. Suffering is a way of hardening one off in preparation for great things to come. Secondly, they have helped me to know the true nature of reality that life and sufferings go hand in hand. As such, I have developed the sense of appreciating life as it is without questioning. I have been able to apprecia te that sufferings connect all of us. Thus, instead of conflicting with others, I now have the best of reasons to wish them well in their lives. Therefore, the four noble truths are a way of nurturing one’s peace of mind. Every one needs to emulate the teachings. Conclusion In conclusion, Buddhism is a religious doctrine that can be attributed to Buddha. Like any other religion, Buddhism has its doctrines upon which its followers base their ideologies. These are otherwise referred to as ‘truths’ that form the basis of any religion. The ancient belief and understanding of the Buddha religion amongst people in the ancient time was not based on truth. Buddha is viewed as an individual who brought enlightenment in the Buddhism doctrine. He found out the truth about life and human sufferings. The four noble of truths are enlightenment to the people and believers of the Buddhism faith. For instance, as revealed in the paper, human beings live and encounter sufferings. These sufferings are mandatory and cannot be avoided. However, human beings cause some of the sufferings due to their cravings and desires. The paper has gone further to confirm that, despite the suffering that people cause to themselves, they too stand a decent chance of eliminating them. Reference List Herbrechtsmeier, W. (1993). Buddhism and the Definition of Religion: one More Time. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 32(2), 1-20. Kinnard, J. (2011). The Emergence of Buddhism: Classical Traditions in Contemporary  Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. This term paper on Siddhartha Gautama and Buddhism was written and submitted by user Cailyn Lee to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Qu pasa con mexicanos menores detenidos en la frontera

Qu pasa con mexicanos menores detenidos en la frontera Estados Unidos y Mà ©xico tienen un acuerdo que aplica a los menores de edad de esta à ºltima nacionalidad que son agarrados cruzando la frontera entre esos dos paà ­ses. Sin embargo, su aplicacià ³n ha sufrido un importante cambio recientemente. Qu dice la ley para el caso de menores de Mxico (que no de Centroamrica) Los mexicanos menores de 18 aà ±os que son agarrados cruzando ilegalmente la frontera son devueltos a Mà ©xico tras serle tomadas las huellas digitales. Muchas veces, el regreso se hace incluso el mismo dà ­a, por autobà ºs. Pero grupos criminales de trfico de personas y/o drogas comenzaron a tomar ventaja de esta regla legal para reclutar - a veces con violencia o coacciones-   menores mexicanos para actuar como polleros y cruzar la frontera con migrantes indocumentados o narcà ³ticos.   Para hacer frente a esa situacià ³n, las autoridades de los Estados Unidos detectaron que muchos jà ³venes cruzaban como polleros la frontera numerosas veces, encontrndose casos de muchachos que ingresaron ilegalmente unas 60 veces. Para poner fin a esta situacià ³n de ingresos ilegales repetidos se comenzà ³ a cambiar la aplicacià ³n de la ley Cmo se est aplicando ahorita el acuerdo entre Estados Unidos y Mxico Cuando la Patrulla Fronteriza arresta a un menor mexicano que acaba de cruzar la frontera mexicana ilegalmente lo retiene en un centro cercano al lugar de su detencià ³n por un tiempo limitado. Despuà ©s de sacarlas las huellas digitales y de entrevistarlo, si consideran que es un caso de ingresos repetidos se lo estn entregando  a la Office of Refuge Resettlement. A continuacià ³n estos menores son enviados a un centro de detencià ³n de migrantes donde precisamente estn los centroamericanos que en muchas ocasiones intentaron introducir ilegalmente en Estados Unidos. El centro de detencià ³n puede estar en cualquier estado y pueden ser enviados por avià ³n. Por lo general, pueden acabar muy lejos del lugar en el que fueron detenidos. Qu pasa una vez que los menores mexicanos llegan al centro de detencin Comunicacià ³n: se les permite comunicarse con su familia en Mà ©xico. Tener presente que desde el dà ­a de la detencià ³n a la primera llamada pueden pasar varios dà ­as, incluso 10. Y eso puede ser un gran motivo de angustia para las familias, porque durante esos dà ­as no saben quà © pasà ³ con el muchacho. Traslados: es posible que cambien de centro de detencià ³n. Clasificacià ³n: se les clasifica en tres categorà ­as por colores: pà ºrpura, amarillo y verde, segà ºn su grado de peligrosidad. Vida cotidiana: si no son peligrosos pueden, en ocasiones, salir del centro de detencià ³n (acompaà ±ado y controlado) Cargos: no son acusados de nada en particular. Tiempo: la detencià ³n dura, como media, 75 dà ­as, aunque hay casos ms cortos y otros que han llegado a durar seis meses.Cuando acaba la detencià ³n se les expulsa a Mà ©xico, llevando esto aparejado su penalidad. Qu busca Estados Unidos con estapoltica y qu consigue Persigue bsicamente dos fines: Poner fin a los repetidos ingresos ilegales de menores de edad mexicanos. En este sentido, la polà ­tica ha sido un gran à ©xito, ya que se ha detectado una caà ­da enorme en el nà ºmero de jà ³venes que, despuà ©s de ser retenidos en los centros de detencià ³n, regresan de nuevo a Estados Unidos como polleros (se sabe porque como se les toma las huellas es posible determinar quià ©n ha sido detenido con anterioridad y cuntas veces). Y, tambià ©n intenta sacar informacià ³n sobre quà © lugares utilizan los contrabandistas de personas para esconder migrantes ilegales y/o drogas. Consecuencia negativa de esta poltica La principal es que se conoce que ha habido casos en los que las bandas de narcos que reclutaron a jà ³venes como polleros se han vengado en ellos o sus familias por sospechar de que han dado informacià ³n a la Patrulla Fronteriza. Asimismo, es una medida criticada porque son casos de detenciones sin que a los detenidos se les acuse formalmente de nada. A tener en cuenta En el caso de menores de 21 aà ±os que no està ©n casados y que hayan sido abandonados o abusados por uno o ambos padres podrà ­an beneficiarse del programa de Inmigrantes Juveniles Especiales (SIJ, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), si se cumplen todos los requisitos. Telfonoimportante para encontrar informacin gratis El telà ©fono del Centro de Informacià ³n y Asistencia a Mexicanos (CIAM) brinda gratuitamente importante ayuda a presos y tambià ©n a sus familiares. Se puede marcar desde Estados Unidos y tambià ©n desde Mà ©xico. Informacin de inters En situacià ³n diferente a los mexicanos menores se encuentran los  centroamericanos detenidos en la frontera, a los que se aplica reglas diferentes.   En el caso de que la persona de la que se sospecha que est detenida sea mayor de edad, tanto mexicana como de otro paà ­s, existe una base de datos para encontrarlos. Por à ºltimo, tener en cuenta que dentro del interior de los Estados Unidos tambià ©n existen  controles de la Patrulla Fronteriza  y que ingresar ilegalmente despuà ©s de haber sido deportado est entre los  casos que son prioritarios para una nueva deportacià ³n. Finalmente, antes de cruzar ilegalmente la frontera conviene estar familiarizado con quà ©Ã‚  es el castigo de la prohibicià ³n permanente y  que las consecuencias pueden ser graves, incluyendo aà ±os de prisià ³n, multa y perjuicios migratorios de por vida. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal de ningà ºn tipo.

Obama Stimulus Package Pros and Cons

Obama Stimulus Package Pros and Cons President Obamas stimulus package, the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, was passed by Congress on February 13, 2009 and signed into law by the President four days later. No House Republicans and only three Senate Republicans voted for the bill. Obamas $787 billion stimulus package is a consortium of thousands of federal tax reductions, and expenditures on infrastructure, education, health care, energy and other projects. This stimulus package was to jumpstart the U.S. economy out of recession mainly by generating two to three million new jobs and replacing decreased consumer spending. (See specific Pros and Cons at page two of this article.) Stimulus Spending: Keynesian Economic Theory The concept that an economy would be boosted if the government spent large sums of borrowed money was first set forth by John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), a British economist. Per Wikipedia, In the 1930s, Keynes spearheaded a revolution in economic thinking, overturning the older ideas... that held that free markets would automatically provide full employment as long as workers were flexible in their wage demands. ... During the 1950s and 1960s, the success of Keynesian economics was so resounding that almost all capitalist governments adopted its policy recommendations. The 1970s: Free-Market Economic Theory Keynesian economics theory receded from public use with the advent of free-market thinking which postulated that the merket works optimally when without government inteference of any kind. Led by U.S. economist Milton Friedman, 1976 Nobel Economics Prize recipient, free-market economics evolved into a political movement under President Ronald Reagan who famously declared, Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem. 2008 Failure of Free-Market Economics Absence of adequate U.S. government monitoring of the economy is blamed by most parties for the 2008 U.S. and worldwide recession. Keynesian economist Paul Krugman, 2008 Nobel Economics Prize recipient, wrote in November 2008: The key to Keynes’s contribution was his realization that liquidity preference - the desire of individuals to hold liquid monetary assets - can lead to situations in which effective demand isn’t enough to employ all the economy’s resources. In other words, per Krugman, human self-interest (i.e. greed)occasionally must be prodded by government to facilitate a healthy economy. Latest Developments In July 2009, many Democrats, including some presidential advisors, believe that $787 billion was too small to bolster the economy, as evidenced by the continuing U.S. economic slump. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis admittedon July 8, 2009 about the economy, Nobody is happy, and the president and I feel very strongly that we have to do everything we can to create jobs. Dozens of respected economists, including Paul Krugman, told the White House that an effective stimulus must be at least $2 trillion, in order to replace the drop in consumer and governmental spending. President Obama, however, aspired for bipartisan support, so the White House compromised by adding Republican-urged tax breaks. And hundreds of billions in desperately-sought state aid and other programs were chopped from the final $787 billion stimulus package. Unemployment Continues to Climb Unemployment has continued to climb at an alarming rate, despite passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Explains The Australian News: ... only six months ago Obama was telling Americans that unemployment, then at 7.2%, could be held to a peak of 8% this year if Congress passed his $US787 billion stimulus package. Congress duly obliged and unemployment has galloped ahead ever since. Most economists now believe the 10% mark will be reached before the year is out. ... Obamas jobless prediction would be out of whack by more than four million jobs. As it stands now, he has miscalculated by about 2.6 million jobs. Slow to Spend Stimulus Funds The Obama administration has stumbled in rapidly circulating stimulus funds back into the economy. Per all reports, as of the end of June 2009, only about 7% of approved funds have spent. Investment analyst Rutledge Capital observes, In spite of all the talk we have seen about shovel ready projects, not much of the money has actually made its way into the economy yet... Economist Bruce Bartlett explained in The Daily Beast on July 8, 2009, In a recent briefing, CBO director Doug Elmendorf estimated that only 24 percent of all the stimulus funds will have been spent by September 30. And 61 percent of that will go to low-impact income transfers; only 39 percent is for high-impact spending on highways, mass transit, energy efficiency, et al. By September 30, only 11 percent of all the funds allocated to such programs will be spent. Background President Obamas stimulus package of $787 billion includes: Infrastructure - Total: $80.9 billion, including: $51.2 billion for roads, bridges, railways, sewers, public transportation $29.5 billion for government facilities and vehicle fleets $15 billion for other projects, including $7.2 billion for public broadband, wireless Internet access, $750 million to the National Park Service, $650 million to the Forest Service, and $515 million for wildfire prevention. Education $44.5 billion to local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, with flexibility to use the funds for school modernization and repair $15.6 billion to increase Pell Grants from $4,731 to $5,350 $13 billion for low-income public schoolchildren $12.2 billion for IDEA special education $300 million for increased teacher salaries Health Care $86.6 billion for Medicaid $24.7 billion to provide a 65% subsidy of COBRA healthcare premiums for the unemployed $19 billion for health information technology $10 billion for health research, National Institutes of Health facilities $1.3 billion for medical care for military members, families $1 billion for the Veterans Health Administration $2 billion for Community Health Centers Energy $11 billion funding for an electric smart grid $6.3 billion for state, local governments to invest in energy efficiencies $6 billion for renewable energy, electric transmission technologies loan guarantees $6 billion for the cleanup of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants $5 billion for weatherizing modest-income homes $4.5 billion to modernize the U.S. electrical grid $2 billion for manufacture of advanced car battery systems $400 million for electric vehicle technologies Housing $4 billion to HUD for repairing, modernizing public housing $2.25 billion in tax credits for financing low-income housing construction $2 billion to help communities purchase and repair foreclosed housing $1.5 billion for rental assistance and housing relocation Scientific Research $3 billion to the National Science Foundation $2 billion to the United States Department of Energy $1.3 billion for university research facilities $1 billion to NASA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 BY Wikipedia Pros Pros for the Obama administrations $787 billion stimulus package can be summed up in one obvious statement: If the stimulus works to shock the U.S. economy out of its steep 2008-2009 recession, and stems the unemployment rate, then it will be judged a success. Economic historians persuasively argue that Keynesian-style spending was largely instrumental in pulling the U.S. out of the Great Depression, and in propelling growth of the U.S. and world economies in the 1950s and 1960s. Meeting Urgent, Worthy Needs Of course, liberals also fervently believe that many thousands of urgent and worthy needs... long ignored and exacerbated by the Bush administration... are met by spending initiatives included in Obamas stimulus package, including: Long overdue repair and renewal of dangerously crumbling U.S. infrastructure, including highways and roads, the electric power grid, dams, bridges, levees, water mains and sewer systems, airports, and more; Vital aid to beleaguered local school districts to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, plus $300 million for increased teacher salaries Expansion of public transportation systems, building new high-speed passenger rail systems $116 billion in payroll tax relief for individuals making less than $75,000 annually, and for couples jointly making less than $150,000. $40 billion to extend unemployment benefits, and to increase benefits by $25 weekly Increased medical coverage for military members and their families, and $1 billion for the Veterans Administration, which suffered major cutbacks under President Bush Food programs for low-income Americans, including $150 million to help refill food banks, $100 million for meals programs for seniors, and $100 million for free school lunch programs . Cons Critics of President Obamas stimulus package either believe that: economic stimulus spending is doomed to fail, especially when it entails borrowing to obtain the funds to be spent (i.e. deficit spending); or the compromise size or focus of the stimulus bill doomed the measure to be inadequate to pull the U.S. out of the 2008-2009 recession. Stimulus Spending Coupled with Borrowing Is Reckless A June 6, 2009 Louisville Courier-Journal editorial eloquently expresses this con perspective: Lyndon is getting a new walking path between Whipps Mill Road and North Hurstbourne Lane... Lacking sufficient funds, the U.S. will borrow from China and other increasingly skeptical lenders to pay for luxuries like Lyndons little walkway. Our children and grandchildren will have to pay back the unimaginable debt with which we are saddling them. Of course, the fallout from their forebears financial irresponsibility could first consume them in revolution, ruin or tyranny... Obama and congressional Democrats are making an already awful situation exponentially worse... Borrowing from foreigners to build paths in Lyndon is not only bad policy, but ought to also be unconstitutional. Stimulus Package Was Inadequate or Wrongly Focused Lamented liberal economist Paul Krugman, Even if the original Obama plan - around $800 billion in stimulus, with a substantial fraction of that total given over to ineffective tax cuts - had been enacted, it wouldnt have been enough to fill the looming hole in the U.S. economy, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will amount to $2.9 trillion over the next three years. Yet the centrists did their best to make the plan weaker and worse. One of the best features of the original plan was aid to cash-strapped state governments, which would have provided a quick boost to the economy while preserving essential services. But the centrists insisted on a $40 billion cut in that spending. Moderate Republican David Brooks opined ... theyve created a sprawling, undisciplined smorgasbord, which has spun off a series of unintended consequences. First, by trying to do everything all it once, the bill does nothing well. The money spent on long-term domestic programs means there may not be enough to jolt the economy now... The money spent on stimulus, meanwhile, means there’s not enough to truly reform domestic programs like health technology, schools and infrastructure. The measure mostly pumps more money into old arrangements. Where It Stands Congressional Republicans tore into the Obama administration over the economic stimulus plan,... arguing that the White House is mishandling the distribution of the money while overstating the ability of the package to create jobs, reported CNN on July 8, 2009 about a contentious hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. CNN continued, The White House Office of Management and Budget defended the plan, arguing that every federal dollar spent has, by definition, helped to ease the pain of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. A Second Stimulus Package? Obama economic advisor Laura Tyson, former Director of the National Economic Council, said in a July 2009 speech that the U.S. should consider drafting a second stimulus package focusing on infrastructure projects because the $787 billion approved in February was a bit too small per Bloomberg.com. In contrast, economist Bruce Bartlett, a conservative Obama supporter, pens in an article entitled Obamas Clueless Liberal Critics, that the argument for more stimulus implicitly assumes that the bulk of stimulus funds have been paid out and done their work. However, the data show that very little of the stimulus has actually been spent. Bartlett argues that stimulus critics are reacting impatiently, and notes that economist Christina Romer, who now chairs the Council of Economic Advisers, says the stimulus is working just as planned and that no additional stimulus is needed. Would Congress Pass a Second Stimulus bill? The burning, relevant question is: Is it politically possible for President Obama to push Congress into passing a second economic stimulus package in 2009 or 2010? The first stimulus package passed on a House vote of 244-188, with all Republicans and eleven Democrats voting NO. The bill squeezed by on a filibuster-proof 61-36 Senate vote, but only after making significant compromises to attract three Republican YES votes. All Senate Democrats voted for the bill, except those absent due to illness. But with public confidence falling in Obamas leadership in mid-2009 on economic matters, and with the first stimulus bill failing to quell unemployment, moderate Democrats cant be relied on to solidly support additional stimulus legislation. Would Congress pass a second stimulus package in 2009 or 2010? The jury is out, but the verdict, in summer 2009, doesnt look good for the Obama administration.

Macro5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro5 - Essay Example Every labour market depending on the economy has its own fluctuations and structural characteristics. In addition, every job always retains its core characteristics like working conditions, required qualifications, working hours and compensation. Furthermore, each employee is represented through professional qualifications, personal abilities and work expectations. Practically, employment occurs when an employee and particular position are matched. In any economy, there are situations when some positions remain unfulfilled, qualified workers are unemployed and some workers are not included in the labour force. When employees and positions are matched poorly and those employees remain in labour force, this trend results in both additional vacancies and additional unemployment. Partially, natural rate of rate is determined by the dynamics of new job creation and termination of current jobs because of decision made on microlevel by individual employees and businesses. Therefore, if othe r aspects of the economy remain constant, simultaneous creation and termination of jobs leads to a higher rate of unemployment. In addition, turnover rates among current employed workforce are also associated with higher unemployment, and are significantly influenced by the nature of jobs and the age mix of the adult population. According to McConnell, Brue and Flynn (2008), inflation is defined as the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is increasing, and, subsequently, purchasing power of consumers is decreasing. From this definition, it is evident that inflation is a negative economic trend. Indeed, two digit inflation rate indicators in the early 1980s in the United States are a good illustration for â€Å"bad† inflation. General decline in purchasing power, particularly among consumers with fixed income, compromised

Healthcare marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Healthcare marketing - Essay Example When the members had bad blood against Gary, she ensured she instituted good conflict resolution skills to ensure that the team worked in harmony. According to Patti Ferguson, Inez did the right thing through undertaking the jobs she was awarded since it was what she intended to achieve. In addition, she also displayed good leadership skills to her team which made her unique. In addition, through team building activities, Inez managed to bring her team more together compared to when they were before. According to Autumn post on the discussion, it is evident that Inez made the right choice when she decided to take a leadership role. We are amazed by her amicable skills in leading others despite having a number of conflicts in her team. According to Kyrie Robertson, Inez is a wise lady in leading such a team. She exhibited good skills in being a leader. For example, her team had trust and faith in her, a component which all leaders have. All in all, he manage to unite all the members including Gary to work as a team for a common

Women Abuse in India Essay Example for Free

Women Abuse in India Essay Violence against women in India Violence against women in India isn’t just a current issue, but rather has deep seated traditional roots in the culture. In order to combat the problem, we must understand its causes. In India, the problem of violence against women is a result of a long standing power imbalance between men and women. Men have control over access to property and resources. There is also a sexual division of labor in India that results in female exploitation–physically, mentally, and commercially. Oppression in India Women in India are subject to all forms of violence. Female infanticide is quite common in Haryana and Punjab because there is a preference for sons because male children carry on the family lineage. The education of sons is also considered much more important. In these two states, the sex ratio is lower than the national average. Discrimination within the household Within the household, there exists gender discrimination which determines intra-household distribution of food. Because women and girls are given less food than men, malnutrition among adolescent girls and women is quite prevalent in India. Lack of opportunity to work Due to lower educational levels, a woman has a much lower capacity to earn. Women from upper castes are seldom allowed to work outside the home. However, work participation rate among low caste women is better compared to that of upper caste women. Honor killings Honor killings are quite common in Haryana and Tamil Nadu when young girls marry somebody outside their caste and clan against her family’s wishes. Women as property  Dowry is demanded from the husband’s side (in-laws) when younger women get married. Newly married women become subject to verbal and physical abuse. In many cases, young brides are burnt to death by her in-laws if the parents fail to meet the requisite dowry demanded. Women are also viewed in terms of their virginity, as chastity is considered as a great virtue. In terms of family planning, women have been used as the subjects of experiments. Governments promote contraceptives to lower fertility among women, at the  behest of multinational corporations and the corporate sector, without thinking about their consequences. Population control and family planning is considered a way to control women’s sexuality. Photograph posted on Flicker by â€Å"Mckay Savage.† Data on violence against women In a country like India, it is difficult to rely on statistics pertaining to rape cases. The data may show that such crimes being committed may be going up or down. But in reality, women are afraid of even lodging FIRs (First Information Report) in police stations despite being raped or sexually harassed. The judiciary and the legal system are biased in favor of men. Cases of violence against women are under-reported. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau 2007, a total of 1,85,312 incidents of crime against women (both under Indian Penal Code-IPC and Special and Local Laws-SLL) were reported in the country during 2007 as compared to 1,64,765 during 2006, thus recording an increase of 12.5% during 2007. These crimes have continuously increased during 2003-2007 with 1,40,601 cases in 2003, 1,54,333 cases in 2004, 1,55,553 in 2005, 1,64,765 cases in 2006 and 1,85,312 cases in 2007. The total number of sexual harassment cases were 10,950 in 2007. The total number of cases pertaining to cruelty by husband and relatives was 75,930. There were 61 cases of importation of girls. Altogether there were 38,734 cases of molestation in 2007. (See the URL: http://ncrb.nic.in/cii2007/cii-2007/FIGURES_2007.pdf). The number of rape cases has increased by nearly ten fold from 2487 in 1953 to 20737 in 2007. Young girls also become victims of child abuse at the hands of their closest male relatives, which they are unable to protest. What can be done When women protest against their exploitation, many try to silence them. The experience of Bhanwari Devi, the ‘sathin’ from Rajasthan, is a case in point. She was gang-raped for working against child marriage practiced by the upper castes in her village. According to the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) 2008, respect for women seem to be the worst in Andhra Pradesh, which accounted for 83.5 per cent of cases under Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act of total cases across the country. Out of a total 1,200 such cases, Andhra had registered 1,005 incidents in  this regard. The NCRB data clearly points to the profile of the average rapist – over 75% were known to the victims. In fact, nearly 10% were relatives. Another disturbing aspect was that about a quarter of the rape victims were minors. During the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995, the United Nations Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, said that violen ce against women is a universal problem that must be universally condemned. The United Nations has termed violence against women as a gross violation of human rights. In India, a survey showed that for each incidence of violence, women lost an average of 7 working days. Role of media Media that includes television, radio and newspapers can play a positive role in creating awareness about the pitfalls of violence against women. Mass media’s power should not be undermined by our policy makers See more at: http://www.conversationsforabetterworld.com/2009/12/violence-against-women-in-india/#sthash.rCyr6L9P.dpuf

Actual and Symbolic Barriers in Robert Frosts Mending Wall Essay

Actual and Symbolic Barriers in Robert Frost's Mending Wall The appearance of barriers, both literal and figurative, is significant to the narrative of Robert Frost's "Mending Wall." The story in this piece revolves around a wall separating two men, their yards, and their lives. The wall is not only a physical boundary; it also symbolizes the barriers between the two in other aspects of their lives. The most noticeable barrier in this work is obviously the wall dividing the yard. The reason for a wall between the trees is unknown to the narrator and the reader. The speaker questions the need for the fence when he says, "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know/ What I was walling in or walling out, / And to whom I was like to give offense." These feelings are expressed also in lines 23 through 26. The wall is located between the neighbor's pine grove and the speaker's apple orchard. Is there a point in dividing these trees? Even though the narrator does not know the purpose of the wall, he is always the one responsible for making sure it is mended every year. More than likely he unconsciously feels a need for the fence too. Perhaps it is a need for his privacy or maybe it is a need to have a connection with the outside world. In the lines "Where they have not left one stone on a stone, / But they would have the rabbit out of hiding," the wall represents the barriers people put up so that their vulnerabilities and secrets can remain hidden. Once this wall is broken there is a need to mend it in order to keep others from seeing what is on the opposite side of the wall. There are other instances of the wall representing the need for separation between personal and private aspects of lives. In lines 16 though 20, ... ...need to keep the wall up in order to protect themselves from outsiders. At the same time though, the need for the ritual of mending the fence is beyond their control. The narrator states, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall...And makes gaps even two can pass abreast." (Lines 1-4) The choice to pass through the fence is available, and so is the choice to mend the wall each year. Both know that the fence will fall again and the next spring they will be reunited. As long as the literal wall exists there will be contact between the two men. However as long as the figurative barriers remain, the distance between them is further than any fence could separate them. Work Cited Robert Frost. "Mending Wall." Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. p106-107.