The Price of Greatness Is Responsibility Essay Example for Free

The Price of Greatness Is Responsibility Essay In his first few days in office, President Barack Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U. S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, while he could have let the US military continue devastating that part of the world on the basis of false allegations made by the previous senator. Our public figures are not only well known, but admired and loved. However, with their fame and greatness come great expectations from us, the public. Under their seemingly exotic outer shell and fame, they are simply ordinary people like the common man on the street. Even in literature, public figures are faces with expectations of being perfect. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is a well-known local lawyer. He has an overall good reputation, and he is a very learned man; however, one day, he chooses to defend a black man in a case against a white man. The black man is convicted of raping the white mans daughter, and even though all charges are faced towards the white man lying, the black man is proven guilty. Atticus Finch receives a lot of hatred for his decision to face someone who is unlike him, and his children also hear a lot from the citizens of their town. The citizens of his town always thought of him as someone who they could look up to, but when he defies their initial trust with something that they could not even imagine, they start degrading him. In this way, the public expects a lot from their public figures, because they inspire it to lead others in the same way. Winston Churchill once said â€Å"If the people of the United States had continued in a mediocre station, struggling with the wilderness, absorbed in their own affairs, and a factor of no consequence in the movement of the world, they might have remained forgotten and undisturbed beyond their protecting oceans: but one cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilized world without being involved in its problems, without being convulsed by its agonies and inspired by its causes. † It is also evident that public figures are faced with many expectations in everyday life. For instance, the current American president, Barack Obama. It is already extremely difficult to actually be president, but Obama is, arguably, president during one of the hardest times in history. He has been ruling us through a difficult recession, capture of a very dangerous terrorist, and just hard times in general. However, even though he is most likely trying his hardest in order to be a successful president, he has to always be careful because even a minor slip-up can cause citizens to stop believing in him as a success.

Non-discrimination GATT Law

Non-discrimination GATT Law Non-discrimination is a cornerstone of GATT law Introduction The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is a treaty to which the U.S. and many other countries are signatories. Its purpose is to free international trade and reduce tariffs. GATT has been revised several times; each revision is called a round. The latest is the Uruguay Round of GATT requires signatories to protect intellectual property and provide similar protection of intellectual property owned by nationals and foreigners. Adherence by the U.S. to GATT has brought about numerous changes to the U.S. Patent System that brings U.S. patent law into closer harmony with the patent systems of other countries. (Oppedahl Patent Law Firm LLC, 1993). The GATT established trade principles that continue to be applied today. The most important trade principle was non-discrimination with regard to the treatment of trade in goods among countries. Article 1 of the GATT, states that any advantage given by a contracting party to a product of another country, must be extended unconditionally to a like product of all other contracting parties. The above article is the most favoured nation principle. A second rule of non-discrimination is national treatment, the principle that imported and domestic goods should be treated equally. Although non-discrimination is a cornerstone of the GATT, some exceptions are allowed. For example, custom unions, free-trade areas, and special treatment for developing countries are permitted. (Fergusson, 2007). Another principle is the open and fair application of any trade barriers. Tariffs were the most common and visible form of trade barrier at the time the GATT was established. (Fergusson, 2007). Tariffs are bound or set at maximum levels, and not to increase above the negotiated level. In general, quantitative restrictions such as quotas were not allowed, since tariffs were much easier to identify and to eventually reduce. The paper will focus on the most favoured principles and the national treatment principles. Studies and researches will be presented to evaluate the cornerstone of GATT law which is non-discrimination. Definition of Terms GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Like Products or Likeness having the same characteristics. The term applies to the products of different countries being exported and imported. The purpose of defining â€Å"Like Products† is to create a criterion by which likeness to be measured. One must described the individual criteria with some care, and after that it is possible to talk about degrees of likeness within the boundaries of those criteria or characteristics. Discrimination in economic, the definition is less favourable treatment of goods from one foreign country vis a vis the goods of another foreign country. Brief History of GATT Law After World War II a new order came in about trading. The Breton Woods Conference1 in 1944, created the International Monetary Fund2 nd the World Bank for economic restructuring and development in Western Europe. The General Agreement on Trade and Tariff was created at the first session of the Preparatory Committee of UN Conference on Trade and Employment in 1946. (Williams, 2006). The GATTs initial purpose was to negotiate tariff concessions among members and to establish a code of conduct and procedures for the resolution of trade disputes by negotiation. Successive negotiations (called rounds) have also focussed on the code of conduct for no tariff barriers. The GATT was founded on the principles of non discrimination and multilateralism in international trade. Non discrimination is expressed via unconditional Most Favoured Nation status for all contracting parties. By this convention if the tariff on imports from one country is decreased, the tariff on all imports of the same goo ds from other GATT members must be reduced. (Williams, 2006). The debacle of the 1930s led to a reassessment, realignment and restructuring of the world economy. The result of the reassessment was that tariff wars were destructive to all parties, it should not be allowed to happen again and a more coherent framework was needed. (Williams, 2006). Conventional wisdom attributes much of the prosperity that occurred in the global economy since the 1 officially known as the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference was a gathering of delegates from 44 nations that met from July 1 to 22, 1944 in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to agree upon a series of new rules for the post-WWII international monetary system. 2 oversee the worlds monetary and exchange rate systems 1940s to the existence of the GATT. In particular, the GATT is lauded for the dramatic increase in world trade and (until the mid 1980s) the absence of any serious trade friction. Beginning in 1986, the Uruguay Round negotiations included the areas of tariffs, services and intellectual property. Over seven years of negotiations, the GATT agreements evolved into their current state. The Uruguay Round concluded in 1994 with numerous agreements to reduce trade barriers and institute more enforceable world trade rules. One of the major results of the Uruguay Round was the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which officially began operations on January 1, 1995. The WTO is a multilateral organization with the mandate to establish enforceable trade rules, to act as a dispute settlement body and to provide a forum for further negotiations into reducing trade barriers. According to the WTO website, there are 147 WTO member countries and observer countries. 3 Beginning in 2001 and proceeding through at least 2005, the Doha Agenda represents the current round of negotiations. The Most Favoured Nation Treatment (MFN) During the first years of International Trade, Most Favoured Nation status was usually used on a dual party, state to state basis. Generally bilateral, in the late 19th and early 20th century unilateral most favoured nation clauses were imposed on Asian nations by the more powerful Western countries. One particular example of most favoured nation status is the Treaty of Nanking as part of the series of unequal 3the complete list of members is available in the WTO website. treaties. It was implemented in the aftermath of the First Opium War between Great Britain and China Qing Dynasty involving the Hong Kong islands. Most favoured nation relationships contrast with reciprocal relationships, since in reciprocal relationships a particular privilege granted by one party only extends to other parties who reciprocate that privilege, rather than to all parties with which it has a most favoured nation agreement. The Most Favoured Nation Treatment or National Trade Relation is an obligation to treat activities of a particular foreign country or its citizens at least as favourably as it treats the activities of any other country. MFN is the policy of non-discrimination in trade that provides to all trading partners the same customs and tariff treatment given to other favoured nations. The phrase most favoured maybe interpreted as especially favourable treatment but the concept of GATT is equal treatment to other party which is most favored. In the GATT the MFN obligation calls for each contracting party to grant to every other contracting party the most favourable treatment that it grants to any country with respect to imports and exports of products. (Abimbola, 2005). Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade states that â€Å" with respect customs duties and charges of any kind imposed on or in connection with importation or exportation or imposed on the international transfer of payments for imports or exports and with respect to the method of levying such duties and charges, and with respect to all rules and formalities in connection with importation and exportation and with respect to all matters referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article III, any advantage, favour, privilege or immunity granted by any contracting party to any product originating in or destined for any other country shall be accorded immediately and unconditionally to other like product originating in or destined for the territories of all other contracting parties.† This clause speaks of MFN treatments fro â€Å"like products†. A 1982 GATT panel found in favour of Brazil that Spain had not lived up to GATT MFN obligation when it subdivided its cu stoms classification of coffee and applied a much higher duty on those types of coffee imported from Brazil. The panel stated that the coffees were so nearly the same that they were â€Å"like products†, and that this must be treated non discriminatorily even though no tariffs were binding by Spain on the product. GATT Article XIII stipulates that quantitative restrictions or tariff quotas on any product must be administered in a non-discriminatory fashion regarding like products, and that in administering import restrictions and tariff quotas, WTO Members shall aim to allocate shares close to that which might be expected in their absence. Article XIII provides for most-favoured-nation treatment in the administration of quantitative restrictions, and supplements the disciplines under Article I. The MFN principle has been expanded and it includes not only importation and exportation of gods but it also includes foreign investments and trade in services. (Abimbola,2005). In Bilateral Investment Treaties4 (BIT) over 1800 BITs (Abimbola, 2005) were compared with about 500 only a decade ago. In the treaties 4 the aspect of foreign investments can be found in BIT. each state generally undertakes to admit, in accordance with its laws and regulations, investments from other state. Also in the treaties are the Covered Investment, it guarantee not only national treatment, but also most favoured nation (MFN) treatment. The BIT also undertake to allow the investor the free transfer abroad of capital, profits and other sums that are related to the investment. It prohibits the expropriation of investments except in the public interest and against prompt, adequate and effective compensation. (Stevens, 2001). Exceptions to the Most Favoured Nation Rule There are some exceptions to the Most Favoured Nation rule, among them are as follows: a) Regional Integration (GATT Article XXIV). Regional integration liberalizes trade among countries within the region, while allowing trade barriers with countries outside the region. GATT Article XXIV provides that regional integration may be allowed as an exception to the Most Favoured Nation rule only if the following conditions are met. First, tariffs and other barriers to trade must be eliminated with respect to substantially all trade within the region. Second, the tariffs and other barriers to trade applied to outside countries must not be higher or more restrictive than they were prior to establishment of regional integration. Regional integration has a vast impact on the world economy today and is the subject of frequent debate in a variety of forums, including the WTO Committee on Regional Trade Agreements. b) Generalized System of Preferences The Generalized System of Preferences or â€Å"GSP† is a system that grants products originating in developing countries lower tariff rates than those normally enjoyed under Most Favoured Nation status as a special measure granted to developing countries in order to increase their export earnings and promote their development. c) Non- Application of Multilateral Trade Agreements between Particular Member States (WTO Article XIII) The Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization provides that this Agreement and the Multilateral Trade Agreement in Annexes 1 and 2 shall not apply as between any Member and any other Member, when either of the following conditions are met: a) at the time the WTO went into force, Article XXXV of GATT 1947 had been invoked earlier and was effective as between original Members of the WTO which were contracting parties to GATT 1947. b) Between a Member and another Member which has acceded under Article XII only if the Member not consenting to the application has so notified the Ministerial Conference before the approval of the agreement on the terms of accession by the Ministerial Conference. d) Other Exceptions Other exceptions to the Most-Favoured-Nation principle include Article XXIV:3 regarding frontier traffic with adjacent countries, and Article I:2 regarding historical preferences which were in force at the signing of the GATT. General exceptions to the GATT that may be applied to the Most-Favoured-Nation principle include Article XX regarding General Exceptions for measures necessary to protect public morals, life and health, etc., and Article XXI regarding Security Exceptions. It is also possible to obtain a waiver to constitute an exception to the Most-Favoured-Nation principle. Under WTO Article IX:3, countries may, with the agreement of other contracting parties, waive their obligations under the agreement. National Treatment Principle National treatment stands alongside MFN treatment as one of the central principles of the WTO Agreement. Under the national treatment rule, the members must not accord discriminatory appropriate treatment between imports and like domestic products. GATT Article III requires that WTO members provide national treatment to all other members. Article III:1 stipulates the general principle that members must not apply internal taxes or other internal charges, laws, regulations and requirements affecting imported or domestic products so as to afford protection to domestic production. In relation to internal taxes or other internal charges, Article III:2 stipulates that WTO standards shall not apply standards higher than those imposed on domestic products between imported goods and â€Å"like† domestic goods, or between imported goods and a directly competitive and substitutable product. With regards to article III:4 provides that member shall accord imported products treatment no les s favourable than that accorded to â€Å"like products† of national origin. National treatment is a principle in customary international law vital to many treaty regimes. In National treatment, if a particular right, benefit or privilege is granted by a state to its own citizen, then it must be also granted to the citizen of other states while they are in the country. It is stated in the international agreements that a state must provide equal treatment to those citizen of other states that are participating in the agreement. Exceptions to National Treatment Rule Although National Treatment is a basic principle, GATT still provides exceptions as follows: Government Procurement GATT article III:8 a) permits governments to purchase domestic products preferentially, making government procurement one of the exceptions to the national treatment rule. This exception is permitted because WTO members recognize the role of government procurement in national policy. While the GATT made government procurement an exception to the national treatment rule, the Agreement on Government Procurement resulting from the Uruguay Round mandates signatories to offer national treatment in their government procurement. The national treatment rule applies only between those who have acceded to the Agreement on Government Procurement, and for others, the traditional exception is still in force. Domestic Subsidies GATT Article III:8 (b) allows for the payment of subsidies exclusively to domestic producers as an exception to the national treatment rule, under the condition that it is not in violation of other provisions in Article III and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing measures. The reason for this exception is that subsidies are recognized to be an effective policy tool, and is recognized to be basically within the latitude of domestic policy authorities. However, because subsidies may have a negative effect on trade, the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures imposes strict disciplines on the use of subsidies. GATT Articles XVIII:C Members in the early stages of development can raise their standard of living by promoting the establishment of infant industries, but this may require government support and the goal may not be realistically attainable with measures that conform to the GATT. In such cases, countries can use the provisions of GATT Article XVIII:C to notify WTO members and initiate consultations. After the consultations are completed under certain restrictions, these countries are then allowed to take measures that are inconsistent with GATT provisions excluding Articles, I, II and XIII. The GATT article XVIII:C procedure allows both border measures and violations of the national treatment obligations in order to promote domestic infant industries. Other Exceptions to National Treatment Exceptions peculiar to national treatment include the exception on screen quotas of cinematographic films under Article III:10 and Article IV. The provisions of GATT Article XX on general exceptions, Article XXI on security exceptions and WTO Article IX on waivers also apply to the national treatment rule. Problems on Trade Policies and Measures National treatment as well as MFN is invoked in WTO disputes. National treatment principle is usually invoked in conjunction with other provisions regarding MFN, quantitative restrictions, TRIMs and standards and conformity assessment. Among the countries that are having problems in trades are the United States, Korea, Indonesia and Brazil. Conclusion Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. Grant someone a special favour (such as a lower customs duty rate for one of their products) and you have to do the same for all other WTO members. Most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment. It is so important that it is the first article of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which governs trade in goods. MFN is also a priority in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) (Article 2) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), although in each agreement the principle is handled slightly differently. Together, those three agreements cover all three main areas of trade handled by the WTO (World Trade Organization). Some exceptions are allowed. For example, countries can set up a free trade agreement that applies only to goods traded within the group — discriminating against goods from outside. Or they can give developing countries special access to their markets. Or a country can raise barriers against products that are considered to be traded unfairly from specific countries. And in services, countries are allowed, in limited circumstances, to discriminate. But the agreements only permit these exceptions under strict conditions. In general, MFN means that every time a country lowers a trade barrier or opens up a market, it has to do so for the same goods or services from all its trading partners — whether rich or poor, weak or strong. 2. National treatment: Treating foreigners and locals equally. Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally — at least after the foreign goods have entered the market. The same should apply to foreign and domestic services, and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents. This principle of â€Å"national treatment† (giving others the same treatment as ones own nationals) is also found in all the three main WTO agreements (Article 3 of GATT, Article 17 of GATS and Article 3 of TRIPS), although once again the principle is handled slightly differently in each of these. National treatment only applies once a product, service or item of intellectual property has entered the market. Therefore, charging customs duty on an import is not a violation of national treatment even if locally-produced products are not charged an equivalent tax. While this is generally viewed as a desirable principle, in custom it conversely means that a state can deprive foreigners of anything of which it deprives its own citizens. An opposing principle calls for an international minimum standard of justice (a sort of basic due process) that would provide a base floor for the protection of rights and of access to judicial process. The conflict between national treatment and minimum standards has mainly played out between industrialized and developing nations, in the context of expropriations. Many developing nations, having the power to take control over the property of their own citizens, wished to exercise it over the property of aliens as well. Though support for national treatment was expressed in several controversial (and legally nonbinding) United Nations General Assembly resolutions, the issue of expropriations is almost universally handled through treaties with other states and contracts with private entities, rather than through reliance upon international custom. National treatment is an integral part of many World Trade Organization agreements. Reference: Abimbola, FO., 2005, The Most Favoured Nation Principle http://primesolicitors.com/papers/website_resource_3.pdf?PHPSESSID=0fb5d787e50d5e25a3253641c6fe4405 http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/legal_e.htm#GATT94 Fergusson, I. May 2007 CRS Report for Congress- The World Trade Organization: Williams, M. A, 2006 Brief History of GATT and NAFTA Womens Alternative Economic Network, http://www.greens.org/s-r/06/06-15.html The Bretton Woods Conference, 1944 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwii/98681.htm http://www.law.duke.edu/lib/researchguides/gatt.html http://www.worldtradelaw.net/articles/hudeclikeproduct.pdf http://www.law.columbia.edu/library/Research_Guides/internat_law/trade_guide#general_intro Stevens, M., September, 2001, Experience in Arbitrations under the ICSID Rules pursuant to Bilateral Investment Treaties, Vol. 29, No. 8 Page 377. Chapter 2 : National Treatment Principle http://www.meti.go.jp/english/report/downloadfiles/gCT0002e.pdf

Automobile Trade Restrictions Economics Essay

Automobile Trade Restrictions Economics Essay The automobile industry is considered a very complex and vital industry compared to others, this is because of the development process with each project. The U.S. has said to have the most open automotive market in the world. The automotive industry has been a part of every major U.S. trade development dating back since World War One and is composed of three broad industries. These three industries consist of high-volume, full-ranged producers, which offer higher volumes and lower prices; while appealing to a mass amount of consumers. GM, Nissan, and Fiat are the main companies in this full-range producer and compete on a cost reduction basis. The second industry is the specialist producers, (BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes) these producers supply higher performance cars at higher prices and compete on the basis of differentiation and cost recovery. Lastly, there are niche producers, (alpine, TRV, and Ferrari), who offer on exclusivity and extreme performance. In addition to these producers, some trends can be identified when examining the global automotive market. These trends consist of the global Market, Establishment of Global Alliances, and Industry Consolidation. First, the global market is considered to be the worlds largest automobile manufacturer. The global market invests in production facilities that reduce production costs and are located in places such as Latin America, China, Malaysia and markets in Southeast Asia. Secondly, Establishment of Global Alliances are referred to as the, The Big Three (GM, Ford and Chrysler) who have merged in partnerships with other European and Japanese automobile manufacturers. Finally, Industry Consolidation involves increasing global competition among manufacturers and positioning within foreign markets. The U.S. is in the worlds top three automobile industries along with Japan and Germany. These automobile industries are major wealth generators for Europe and the U.S. recently providing over 17 million foreign and domestic cars and trucks in the U.S., which in turn accounted for more than 400 billion in sales. In addition to these producers and trends, there are six leading automobile manufactures, which are located in the U.S. and Japan. The U.S. consists of Daimler-Chrysler which is regulated by the United Nations, while General motors, and Ford are the other two in the U.S. The other three are produced by Japan and consist of Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Between these six companies, they control over 87% of the market. The automotive industry has been a crucial part of the global market with automotive products accounting for ten percent of global merchandise trade. Fortunately and unfortunately with trade also comes trade restrictions. So what is a trade restriction? A trade restriction is defined as an artificial restriction on the trade of goods between two countries. The most known and important form of trade restriction is a tariff, import quotas, voluntary export restraints, and antidumping actions are also restrictions which will be explained in more detail later. In this paper I will explain trade restrictions/barriers that the U.S. imposes on the automobile industry, what programs are available to help make automobile trading more efficient and attractive for everyone, and also mention the various tariffs and trade barriers. In addition, I will talk about the current global automotive market , new foreign policy introduced in the U.S. and other nations, and finally explain the ramifications of certain restrictions and there effects on different people groups within the nation. First, there are many programs whose intentions are to help the automotive industry in trading. First are (APEC), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and Automotive Dialogue (AD) which serve as a forum for APEC. (APEC) attempts to find strategies to increase the integration and development of the automotive industry in a region. AD try to promote growth and development of the regional auto industry while also attempting to offer certain recommendations. Some of the economies that have participated in APEC and the AD include Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Viet Nam and the United States. Many of these same countries have also tried and introduce new policies to make their country better off. For example, in 2004 China issued a new automobile industrial policy which discouraged the importation of automotive parts but encouraged the use of domestic technology in new vehicles assembled in China. In 2005, China issued regulations implementing the new automobile industrial policy.   The policy was said to unfairly discriminate against imported automotive parts and discourage automobile manufacturers in China from using imported automotive parts in the assembly of vehicles. In March 2008, Chinas policy was ruled inconsistent with several WTO provisions then in January of 2009, China complied with the recommendations and set rulings. Along with China, Korea also has attempted to bring out barriers that restrict importation and sale which include anti-import basis, standards and certification process and procedures, tariff and tax structure, and currency manipulation. So what are barriers/ restriction design to do? Barriers to entry are designed to keep out potential entrants from entering a profitable market. The barriers to enter the automotive industry are considered substantial, a new company must have the startup capital required to establish manufacturing capacity to achieve minimum efficient scale which is prohibitive. Many automotive established companies are entering new markets through strategic partnerships or through buying out or merging with other companies. Previously , the barriers to entry for new markets were low; However once the U.S. invited Japanese makers who began to offer quality vehicles in lower price markets compared to the U.S. changed this. Not only has Japan had success, many large automotive companies have globalized and entered foreign markets with varying degrees of success including, Asia, Africa, and South America whose barriers to entry are similar. As mentioned briefly before, there are a number of types of tariffs and trade Barriers that the government can employ and they include Specific tariffs, Ad valorem tariffs, Licenses, Import quotas, Voluntary export restraints, and Local content requirements. Specific Tariffs are considered a fixed fee levied on one unit of an imported good. Ad Valorem Tariff is based on a percentage of that goods value. Non-tariff barriers to trade include Embargoes, Subsidies, standards, and licenses which are granted to a business by the government which then allows the business to import a certain type of good into the country. So what effects can these barriers cause? Barriers can cause restriction in competition or increase prices on consumers. An import quota is a restriction placed on the amount of a particular good that can be imported. Voluntary Export Restraints (VER) is a type of trade barrier that is voluntary and is created by the exporting country rather than the importing one. Also, instead of placing a quota on a number of goods that can be imported, the government can require a percentage of a good be made domestically. The restriction can be a percentage of the good itself, or a percentage of the value of the good. Now that you know a little about tariffs and certain barriers, lets examine further the effect of tariffs and trade barriers on businesses and consumers. Patents, limit pricing, and cost advantages are all considered barriers to entry. In the short run, effects such as higher prices for goods can decrease consumption by individual consumers and by businesses, causing business profit and the government to see an increase in revenue from things like duties. However, in the long term, businesses can see decline in profits and efficiency due to lack of competition and future substitutes to their products. When speaking about the government, the long-term effect of subsidies is an increase in the demand for public services, overall resulting in less disposable income. When looking into the future, Japan continues its economic expansion which has allowed them to see continued success in exports. With the automobile industry being extremely competitive, the U.S. has worked with the, Big Three to introduce a program called the, PNGV which is a partnership for new generation vehicles. They aim to strengthen the U.S. global competiveness, keep jobs, while also trying to reduce the dependence of foreign oil, and improve the environment. The U.S. and Europe had increased concern regarding mobility, economic development, safety and environmental concerns when putting out new automobiles. As the government continues to try and provide incentives to reduce tax increases and fuel price increase they are also intending to find cars that reduce air pollution. Older models make automobile traded restrictions more difficult because of controversies over car prices and consumer preferences. Many consumers are now looking for vehicles that are equipped with, air-bags, power steering, antilock brakes, comfort, technology, and automobiles that reduce carbon going into the atmosphere. Car manufacturing must met safety, environmental, and business standard demand for international and domestic regulations. According to the future growth in the automotive industry over the next decade is expected to come from places like India, China, and Eastern Europe. Major companies are beginning to develop low cost cars, which include, Hyundai, Toyota, Fiat and others. With the increase worries about environmental issues, Hybrid sales have increased drastically. The U.S. and Europe are the main introducers of less pollutant and fuel efficiency standards in vehicles. So what are the ramifications of these barriers? Restrictions or trade barriers seem only to limit world trade, while also decreasing economic efficiency, reducing total production and employment, raise prices, and even cause retaliation. Some domestic companies benefit at the expense of foreign companies and workers, and domestic consumers. While subsidies do benefit domestic companies and workers in exporting industries, tariffs decrease exports and shift resources and production from more effective to less effective producers. In conclusion, while Japan continues to force competition on the U.S. It causes damage to the U.S car industry because of priced car exports. Causing the U.S. to now only represent s less than  ¼ of the world Industry and its market share continues to decline. Since 2007 the big three has been falling drastically. Chrysler is now selling 53 percent fewer vehicles since 2007, while GM is down 23% from 2007 and Ford 32%. Honda also saw declines along with Toyota who was down 37 percent, Nissan 31% and Honda 35 percent. All of these drops have caused oversupply in car lots, motivated dealers, easier financing terms, and long-term industry presence driving down the price of gas, making now the perfect time to purchase automobiles.

Womens Right to Vote :: American America History

Women's Right to Vote After reading Francis Parkman's article, "Women Are Unfit to Vote", I found myself both offended and annoyed. His arguments were not only shaky, but they were also illogical. He states that the family has been the political unit; consequently, the head of the family should be the political representative. He goes on by stating that women have shared imperfectly in the traditions and not in the practice of self-government. Lastly, he suggests women might vote that men should go off and fight in war. Not only are these statements wrong, but they are very much so offensive. Women are humans, too, and they should be treated how a man is treated. We are, after all, of an equal race, so why do we women not get the right to vote? In my opinion,this question cannot be answered logically. Many reasons can contradict Parkman's statements included in his article, and I plan to do so. To start with, Parkman declares that "the family, and not the individual, has been the political unit, and the head of the family... has been the political representative of the rest." He is saying that the men are the head of the family; therefore, they should be the ones that vote. But what if the head of the family is a woman? Let's say, for example, the husband dies unexpectedly, leaving the woman behind to raise the children and take the position as head of the family. Does she then get the right to vote? Or do we simply deny her that right because she is a woman? According to Francis Parkman, the head of the family is the political representative, and no where in that statement did he once specify the head of the family could not be a woman. Therefore, as long as the woman is the head of the family, they should be granted the right to vote. Many circumstances in one's life may cause them to become, without notice, the head of their family. As quick as they become the new head, they should then be allowed to vote just as quickly. If they are denied that right, then Parkman's statement is false. The head of the family should not be limited to just being a man, and neither should the right to vote. Parkman follows by commenting that "they [women] have shared very imperfectly in the traditions, and not at all in the practice of self-government.

Racism and Prejudice at State College Essay -- Sociology Racism Prejud

Racism and Prejudice at State College America: the home of the brave and the free, the "melting pot." America: a society of endless possibilities and promises. We as Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Or do we? On what do these rights depend? Power? Power is the ability to influence another's mind. Though expressed in many ways, power is not always accessible. One's social, economic, ethical, and racial status determine how much power one can have--the cultural majority has the power. In American society, culture plays a pivotal role in our everyday life and experiences. What happens when one's identity or sense of self is lost in the melting pot? Who I am and what race or culture I belonged to never seemed to be an issue until I came to State College--everyone around me was the same race and belongs to the same culture it never seems to be an issue. More and more, as I roam this campus, I find myself asking the same questions: do I belong here? Is this the place for me? Who am I? I always come to the same conclusions: I'm me, Emanuel Simmons, the same person who came as a freshman but with more knowledge now. I ask myself, "Who was Emanuel Simmons as a freshman?" and I realize that to figure out where I belong, I must first figure out who I am. State College is a fine institution of learning with a great deal of promise. When I first arrived at State College I was caught off guard. I was an eighteen-year-old, young black man coming from a big-time city to a small town. I had my share of trouble, and I was a little naà ¯ve but not innocent. I was in college, away from family and friends and on my own; nothing could stop me now. I was on top of the world, floating like a free balloon... ...thing about. So with lack of knowledge comes suspicion. I'm not saying that all State College students act this way, but a few mess it up for everyone else. If we as individuals take responsibility for our actions, maybe we would be held accountable for our actions and not everyone else's. In this world we all would like to think we know who we are, but it is only when we come in contact with others of different backgrounds that our sense of self is heightened. We tend to define ourselves as "us and them" rather than "us all." It is so much easier to categorize each other than to learn about each other. We must work together as a community to strengthen each other's weaknesses and let our individuality shine through. Then and only then will we be able to respect and embrace one's differences. We all belong to the same race, humankind. So let's start acting like it. Racism and Prejudice at State College Essay -- Sociology Racism Prejud Racism and Prejudice at State College America: the home of the brave and the free, the "melting pot." America: a society of endless possibilities and promises. We as Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Or do we? On what do these rights depend? Power? Power is the ability to influence another's mind. Though expressed in many ways, power is not always accessible. One's social, economic, ethical, and racial status determine how much power one can have--the cultural majority has the power. In American society, culture plays a pivotal role in our everyday life and experiences. What happens when one's identity or sense of self is lost in the melting pot? Who I am and what race or culture I belonged to never seemed to be an issue until I came to State College--everyone around me was the same race and belongs to the same culture it never seems to be an issue. More and more, as I roam this campus, I find myself asking the same questions: do I belong here? Is this the place for me? Who am I? I always come to the same conclusions: I'm me, Emanuel Simmons, the same person who came as a freshman but with more knowledge now. I ask myself, "Who was Emanuel Simmons as a freshman?" and I realize that to figure out where I belong, I must first figure out who I am. State College is a fine institution of learning with a great deal of promise. When I first arrived at State College I was caught off guard. I was an eighteen-year-old, young black man coming from a big-time city to a small town. I had my share of trouble, and I was a little naà ¯ve but not innocent. I was in college, away from family and friends and on my own; nothing could stop me now. I was on top of the world, floating like a free balloon... ...thing about. So with lack of knowledge comes suspicion. I'm not saying that all State College students act this way, but a few mess it up for everyone else. If we as individuals take responsibility for our actions, maybe we would be held accountable for our actions and not everyone else's. In this world we all would like to think we know who we are, but it is only when we come in contact with others of different backgrounds that our sense of self is heightened. We tend to define ourselves as "us and them" rather than "us all." It is so much easier to categorize each other than to learn about each other. We must work together as a community to strengthen each other's weaknesses and let our individuality shine through. Then and only then will we be able to respect and embrace one's differences. We all belong to the same race, humankind. So let's start acting like it.

Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye

Cognitionll saa iva_aa yaa ivamau>yao ll That is knowledge which Liberates! Dear friends, do you know the meaning of this famous â€Å"Sanskrit† quotation? I’ll explain it to you. Generally we call vidya to everything which gives some knowledge. There are many types of vidya which we can learn in this world. Among these, one is . And according to the scriptures â€Å" † alone liberates the human being. One can get Mukti from this world, Because of knowing & experiencing the .The meaning of getting â€Å"Mukti† is not dying, but getting true knowledge of Atman & Paramatman. It is like waking up from a dream. Because after getting Mukti a human being knows that everything we experience in this world is like a dream & it is not true. And so, I am different from what I feel or think now in this world. I am Aatman & not what I am called by everybody. The person who is mukta, is called the â€Å"Enlightened One† (Aatmasaakshaatkaari). That means He knows this world as a play or a dream. He fully knows that this sharir / deh is not me, I am Atman.Like in a dream nobody can do anything to me because nobody knows me, who I am. Dream is an illusion. In our dream anything can happen anywhere & we are present everywhere, we know everything, we are saakshi of every moment in the dream, because it is our dream. Likewise in this world also what we experience is our own experience. â€Å"Pindi Te Brahmaandi† Pind experiences only what is his feelings & nothing else like we experience in a dream. Each one's life is special for that pind. Experience of two persons are never the same. Each ; every person think differently. Pinde Pinde matirbhinnaa † Each person has got different mati. It is a long process for a pind to achieve mukti As our saints say the pind has to undergo 84 lacs of births for mukti. That is why we have to try for mukti in this very birth. Because nardeh only can try for mukti. Simple Meaning Of Mukti : When we are awake from a dream we understand that we were watching a dream in our sleep. And nothing has happened as seen in the dream. It was my illusion. In the dream, I was thinking all (which is happening there) as a real.I was experiencing all that with attachment, but now I’m awake from that illusion & now I can understand that I am different from what I was in my dream. That’s why whatever I had experienced in the dream was everything false & I understand now that nothing has happened to me. In the same way what we experience here in this world is not happening to me because I am very different from what I’m experiencing here as myself. This body, my name, my family, my status, my education, my colour, my looks, my habits, my home†¦.. all these things are not mine. I am very different from all these things.I am Atman which is bound in this deh. When this deh will be perished / dead all these things will disappear & only I (the Aatman) will remain. Atman has to try to come out or to be free from this deh without any harm to this body that is called mukti. This is an exact meaning of mukti. When the Atman comes out of this deh without any damage to it, it is mukti from this world. He can have the knowledge of all Brahmand that means he can have gyan of everything like divine. He will be totally blissful, all pervading, omnipotent. All the God’s adjectives can be put before his name.Atmagyani saints are all mukta, as they have seen their own Atman out of their body in this very birth. If man / human being has got this capacity to see the Atman out of his body (Aatmasaakshaatkaar) & be free from all bondages, then why not try for the same, in this very birth? Easiest Way For Attaining Mukti : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Bhakti is the easiest way towards mukti. The person who does bhakti becomes pure minded. Mind has the power or potential to pure itself when it comes into contact with God.When mind comes in contact with God, wi th feelings, it is out of the effect of time & space. Time & space doesn’t affect the mind & body each time when it comes in contact with God with love. See the persons who love God, they look younger than others. His mind also is truly pure. That means he /she skips the time in his/her life by contacting God the Parmaatman with love. This is a magic mantra to be young. But my dear friends for that we must have a pure heart. then only it CAN happen. You can also see the Yogins & Bhaktas, how young they look.We can never make-out the age of Yogins & true Bhaktas i. e. Saints. || SA VIDYA YA VIMUKTAYE || That is knowledge which Liberates! Dear friends do you know tha meaning of this famous â€Å"Sanskrit† question? I’ll explain it to you. Generally we call vidya to everything which gives some knowledge about anything. There are 64 types of Arts which we can learn in this world, according to the scriptures. Among these 64 kata, one is Adhyatma Vidya. And it is writ ten in the Hindu sciptures that â€Å"Adhyatma Vidya† only is a Vidya because it liberates the human being.Because of it’s knowledge one can get Mukti from this world. The meaning of getting â€Å"Mukti† is not dying, but getting true knowledge of Atman & Paramatman. It is like waking up from a dream. Because after getting Mukti a human being knows that everything we experience in this world is like a dream & it is not my true self. I am different from what I’am now in this world. The person who is mukt, is called the â€Å"Enlightened One† (Atamashakshatkari). That means He knows this world as a play or a dream. He fully knows that this sharir / deh is not me, I am Atman.Like a dream nobody can do anything to me because nobody knows me, who I am. Dream is an illusion. In our dream anything can happen anywhere & we are present everywhere,w e know everything, we are sakshi of every moment in the dream, because it is our dream. Likewise in this world also what we experience is our own experience. Experience of two person’s are not same. Each & every person think differently. Pinde Pinde matibhirna | Each person has got different mate. It is a long process for a pind to achieve mukti As our saints say 84 lacs of births the pind has to undergo if he doesn’t try for mukti.That is why we have to try for mukti in this very birth. Because nardeh only can try for mukti. SIMPLE MEANING OF MUKTI When we are awake from a dream we understand that we were watching a dream in our sleep. And nothing has happened as seen in the dream. It was my illusion. In the dream, I was thinking as a real. I was experiencing all that but now I’m awake from that illusion & now I can understand that I am different from what I was in my dream that’s why whatever I had experienced in the dream was everything false & I understand now that nothing happened to me.In the same way what we experience here in this world is not happening t o me because I am very different from what I’m experiencing here as myself. This body my name, my family, my status, my education, my colour, my looks, my habits, my home†¦.. all these things are not mine. I am very different from all these things. I am Atman which is bound in this deh. Atman has to try to come out or to be free from this deh without any harm to this body that is called mukti. This is an exact meaning of mukti. When the Atman comes out of this deh without any damage to it, it is mukt from this world.He can have the knowledge of all Brahmand that means he can have gyan of everything like divine. He will be totally blissful, all pervading, omnipotent. All the God’s adjectives can be put before his name. Atmagyani saints are all mukt, as they have seen their own Atman out of their body in this birth. If man / human being has got this capacity to see the Atman out of the body & be free from all bondages then why not try for the same, in this very birt h? STEP FOR ATTAINING MUKTI (THESIS) EASIEST WAY FOR ATTAINING MUKTIHa janm aahe mukti milavnyacha Ha janm aahe bhakti karnyacha Ha janm naahi punha†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Bhakti is the easiest way towards mukti. The person who does bhakti is pure minded. Mind has the power or potential to pure itself when it comes into contact with God. When mind comes into contact with God, with feelings, it is out of the effect of time & space. Time & space doesn’t affect the mind & body each time when it comes in contact with God with love. See the persons who love God, look younger than others. His mind also is truly pure.

Stats Study Sheet

1. Assume 20% of all email is spam. A large Internet provider plans on conducting a survey of 900 emails to see what percentage are spam. a. What is the probability they will get a proportion greater than 0. 1836? b. If they get a sample proportion over 24% they are going to shut down their email server. What is the probability this will happen? 2. A survey is done to estimate the proportion of U. S. adults who think that cell phone use while driving should be illegal. In the survey, 54% of a randomly selected sample of 1025 individuals said that cell phone use while driving should be illegal. a.What is the 90% confidence interval for the proportion of adults who think cell phone use should be illegal? 1. A sample of college students was asked whether they would return the money if they found a wallet on the street. Of the 93 women, 84 said â€Å"yes,† and of the 75 men, 53 said â€Å"yes. † Assume that these students represent all college students (Data source is from UC Davis and can be found in the textbook). a. Is there enough data to calculate a confidence interval for the women? 2. A sample of college students was asked whether they would return the money if they found a wallet on the street.Of the 93 women, 84 said â€Å"yes,† and of the 75 men, 53 said â€Å"yes. † Assume that these students represent all college students (Data source is from UC Davis and can be found in the textbook). b. Is there enough data to calculate a confidence interval for the women? 3. A CNN/Time poll conducted in the United States October 23-24, 2002, (http://www. pollingreport. com) asked, â€Å"Do you favor or oppose the legalization of marijuana? † In the nationwide poll of n = 1007 adults, 34% said that they favored legalization. a.Find the margin of error for a 96% confidence interval. 3. A medical researcher wants to study whether oral contraceptives are correlated with high blood pressure. A sample of 500 women using oral contraceptive s showed 15% had high blood pressure A sample of 400 women not using oral contraceptives showed 10% had high blood pressure. a. What is the 92% confidence interval for the difference in the two proportions? (using – not using) 4. A medical researcher wants to study whether oral contraceptives are correlated with high blood pressure.A sample of 500 women using oral contraceptives showed 15% had high blood pressure A sample of 400 women not using oral contraceptives showed 10% had high blood pressure. b. What is the 92% confidence interval for the difference in the two proportions? (using – not using) b. If the magazine had wanted to get a margin of error of only 1%, at least how many adults should they have interviewed? 1. University of Wyoming policy states that you should spend 6 hours a week on homework. To find out how close our class is we randomly sample 100 students from class and ask, â€Å"How many hours do you spend on homework each week? The mean for the 100 responses is 3. 6 hours with a standard deviation of 0. 7 hours (sample statistic). Find a 95% confidence interval for the true average. * We use 80 degrees of freedom, because (1) t-table does not have t-values for 99 degrees of freedom and also because using 100 degrees of freedom is too liberal. The reason is that we can never say we have more data than you really do; OK to say you have less. * We use t-table and not z-table because our standard deviation has been computed from sample values. 7.The center for disease control wants to know the average life span of an ebola virus. Studies of similar types of viruses suggest the standard deviation will be 2. 55 days (population parameter: use z-table), but they want a 99% confidence interval for the true average lifespan, and they want that confidence interval to have a width of 0. 5 days. How many ebola viruses do they need to sample? †¢We can use z-table instead of t-table because the standard deviation comes from the popula tion.  ¬ †¢We can use z-table instead of t-table because the standard deviation comes from the population. 7.The center for disease control wants to know the average life span of an ebola virus. Studies of similar types of viruses suggest the standard deviation will be 2. 55 days (population parameter: use z-table), but they want a 99% confidence interval for the true average lifespan, and they want that confidence interval to have a width of 0. 5 days. How many ebola viruses do they need to sample? †¢We can use z-table instead of t-table because the standard deviation comes from the population.  ¬ †¢We can use z-table instead of t-table because the standard deviation comes from the population. 9.Example 11. 12 (p. 428) studies hangover symptoms in college students (Slutske et al. , 2003). The students answered questions about alcohol use and hangovers, including a count of how many out of a list of 13 possible hangover symptoms that they had experienced in the pa st year. For the 470 men, the mean number of symptoms was 5. 3; for the 755 women, it was 5. 1. The standard deviation was 3. 4 for each of the two samples. a. Find a 95% confidence interval for the difference in population means. 9. Example 11. 12 (p. 428) studies hangover symptoms in college students (Slutske et al. 2003). The students answered questions about alcohol use and hangovers, including a count of how many out of a list of 13 possible hangover symptoms that they had experienced in the past year. For the 470 men, the mean number of symptoms was 5. 3; for the 755 women, it was 5. 1. The standard deviation was 3. 4 for each of the two samples. a. Find a 95% confidence interval for the difference in population means. 3. In each part, use the information given to calculate the margin of error. a. A sample of n = 81 women has standard deviation 2. 7 inches. Confidence90%