Cola Wars - The Carbonated Soft Drink Industry Essay Example for Free

Cola Wars The Carbonated Soft Drink Industry Essay Threat of New Entry The existing players in the soft drink industry have much advantage relative to new entrants. First, supply-side economy discourages new entrants by forcing them to enter the market in large scale. CSD’s demand side benefits of scale also makes it difficult for new entrants to be accepted by the public. In 2002, a survey found that 37% of respondents chose a CSD because it is their favorite brand, while only 10% said so about bottled water. This demonstrates CSD customers’ high brand loyalty and their lack of desire to buy from new entrants. In terms of capital requirement, concentrate manufacturers only requires $25~$50 million to set up a plant that can serve the entire United States of America. Yet, new entrants may have difficulties competing with major players’ well-established brands and their large scale unrecoverable (therefore, hard to finance) spending on advertising. There is also unequal access to bottlers and retail channels for newcomers. Most bottlers are in long-term contracts with major CSD brands; also, the largest distribution channel, supermarkets, consider CSD a â€Å"big traffic draw†, thus provide little to no shelf space for newcomers. In addition, strong fear of retaliation from major players also makes newcomers hesitate to enter. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Required inputs for CSD are mostly raw materials such as caramel coloring, phosphoric or citric acid, natural flavors, caffeine, and fructose. Almost all suppliers of the CSD industry provide undifferentiated commodities and thus have little bargaining power and almost no strength to integrate forward. Bargaining Power of Buyers End consumers and retail channels can both be considered as buyers in the CSD industry. End consumers are likely to have brand loyalty to their CSD as analyzed in threat of new entry. Thus, consumers are expected to continue purchasing a brand unless there is a significant price increase or substantial change in flavor. Consequently, end consumers have little bargaining power. Retail channels, on the other hand, have more bargaining leverage since they buy CSDs in much larger quantities than end consumers. Yet, for retail channels such as supermarkets (making up almost one third of all retail volume), CSDs are considered a â€Å"big traffic draw†, thus reducing its bargaining power. In addition, fountain outlets (making up another 23.4% of retail channel) also have insignificant bargaining power since they rely on CSD companies’ heavy investment in dispensers, cups, point-of-sale advertising, and many other types of equipment. Threat of Substitutes CSDs are unique in terms of taste and properties. When a consumer craves CSD, it is difficult to find a replacement that can equally satisfy his or her desire. Even after CSD was identified as the â€Å"largest source of obesity-causing sugars in the American diet† in 2005, CSDs still â€Å"accounted for 73.1% of U.S. non-alcoholic refreshment beverage volume (down from 80.8% in 2000)† at around the same time. It is true that consumers are moving towards alternatives that have more natural flavors such as several tea-based drinks and bottled water; yet, CSD firms have quickly adapted to this shift and largely dominated the market of these alternatives. Rivalry Among Existing Competitors Even though rivalry among existing competitors Coke, Pepsi, and Cadbury Schweppes seem intense, the profitability has not been weakened. This is largely because of the high concentration of competition and their focus on promotion, advertising, and other forms of branding instead of waging large-scale price wars. In a way, the success of Coke and Pepsi required the heavy competition on these dimensions. â€Å"Without Coke, Pepsi would have a tough time being an original and lively competitor. The more successful they (Coke) are, the sharper we (Pepsi) have to be.† says Roger Enrico, former CEO of Pepsi. The CSD industry profitability lies within the Cola War itself that forces major players to improve continuously. Through Porter’s five forces analysis, it becomes clear that CSD is so profitable because of the way its industry competition is shaped: high entry barriers due to newcomers’ unfavorable supply-side economies of scale, demand-side benefits of scale, and unrecoverable advertising spending; low bargaining power of suppliers and buyers since CSD requires mainly homogeneous commodities, buyers have high brand loyalty, and retailers rely heavily on CSD firms’ investments; well handled threat of substitutes; and healthy internal rivalry that is vital to continuous improvement.

Analysing Project Leadership Teams and Group Dynamics

Analysing Project Leadership Teams and Group Dynamics Introduction A research done in 1995 in the USA showed that 31% of software projects are cancelled before completion while for those which are not, the cost will be an average of 189 percent of the original estimates (Standish Group, 1995). Whittaker (1999) identified the key reasons for such failure as related to poor project planning, a weak business case, and a lack of top management involvement and support. In 2001, the Standish Group found that only 28 percent of IT projects were completed on time and on budget, and that these were on average 45 percent over original cost estimates and 63 percent over original time to completion estimates (Standish Group International, 2001). This report identified poor tools to monitor and control progress of projects as the main reasons for such failures hence recommending project managers to use good project management practices in order to establish the appropriate project methodology (Gowan Mathieu, 2005). Turner (2003) defined a project as an endeavour in which human, material and financial resources are organized in a novel way, to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification, within constraints of cost and time, so as to achieve beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives. Despite this definition containing three aspects: human, material and financial, the above reports show that the focus of understanding failures in software projects has been mainly directed towards the technical and financial barriers encountered during the project life cycle. Intangible human organisational factors such as leadership, organisation culture and team dynamics have been given meagre attention despite multiple researches showing the successful completion of any project in any organization is highly dependent on the human and behavioural factors. This paper will discuss the ways through which software teams are affected by leadership, organisation culture and team dynamics. The first part of the paper will discuss the literature around organisational culture and it can affect the outcomes of software projects. The second part of the paper will discuss the role of leadership and team dynamics in the context of software project management. Lastly, the paper will end with a conclusion and possible recommendations for software teams in the future. Organisation Culture and Software project management Organizational culture describes how things are done in a corporation (Claver et al, 2001). It encompasses a wide range of aspects of organisations life including assumptions, values and artefacts, beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies; language, symbols, stories, and ceremonies In sum, organisational culture is viewed as both what an organisation is and as what an organisation has (Mathew, 2007). According to Lok Crawford (2004), organisational culture can influence how people set personal and professional goals, perform tasks and administer resources to achieve them. Similarly, Schein (1990) describes organisational culture as being able to affect the way in which people consciously and subconsciously think, make decisions and act. Researchers on organisational cultures have also proposed different forms or types of cultures. For example, Wallach (1983) suggested that there are three main types of organisational cultures: bureaucratic, supportive and innovative. Handy (1993) Identified four types of organisation cultures: power culture, role culture, person culture and task culture. The ultimate point is that organisation culture determines the ways decisions are taken within organisations. For example according to Handys model, a power culture is one where decisions are taken by a restricted number of individuals usually located at the peak of the organisation structure. The decision is then transferred to the rest of the structure, thus signifying low participation from the remaining workforce. This bureaucratic approach to decision making reduces the level of input from other levels in the organisation. In modern organisations, where employees are viewed as critical success factors, it is therefore important to have a culture which encourages participation and involvement. The power culture is an example of how the organisation culture can be a barrier to employee participation. In the context of software projects, participation is a key success factor. Hence, the type of organisation culture will either enhance or prohibit the appropriate behaviours from the team members. According to Hansen and Wenerfelt (1989), the culture within an organisation affects the way in which employees perceive, feel and act. This in turn will affect their level of performance and commitment (Peters and Waterman, 1982). Echoing the same, Siehl and Martin (1990) found that organisation culture have a critical influence of productivity and quality. The software sector employs large numbers of people worldwide (Arthreye, 2005). As mentioned above, productivity and quality are greatly influenced by organisation culture (Siehl and Martin, 1990). Productivity and quality is important to the software sector. Therefore, the need to understand how organisation culture affects this sector is fundamental. Organisation culture lays down the guidelines for the acquisition of Information Technology as well as the guidelines for sharing of information through its Information Systems (Allard (1998); Brown and Starkey (1994); Katz and Townsend (2000)). Mathew (2007) identified a range of cultural processes that have a bearing on software organisations such as concern for employees and trust, knowledge management or organisational learning; empowerment; high performance work orientation and core values. The research by Mathew (2007) is evidence that software team members are highly influenced by the cultural processes in interplaying in the organisation they are working in. These processes will affect their commitment to the software project in terms of: firstly the amount of information they are likely to input to the project. Western organisations have purposely adopted collectivist processes so as to encourage sharing of information throughout teams. However, in others contexts, the individualistic and bureaucratic culture promotes information asymmetry. Information asymmetry occurs when one party possesses more information that the other party. Information asymmetry is a threat to the proper functioning of software teams as information is key to the success of so ftware projects. The above shows that the organisation culture determines the processes for sharing information which in turn directly affects the implementation of software projects. Secondly, the organisation culture also determines the degree of empowerment of the employees. A study by Badoo and Hall (2001) on Motivators of Software Process Improvement: an analysis of practitioners views showed that software project managers highly ranked empowerment as a motivator factor. They considered process ownership as important. Developers stated the same: Developers want grassroots input into processes. Project managers want autonomy so they can mould the processes around their present practices. Both developers and project managers want to feel they have the support of senior management. (Badoo Hall, 2001) Pitterman (2000) identified empowerment as crucial to the success of software projects. Empowerment is often defined as the act of giving people the opportunity to make workplace decisions by expanding their autonomy in decision making (Vogt, 1997). Empowerment however is influenced by the organisation culture. Other processes contained in the organisation culture which ultimately affect the implementation of software projects are: communication, reward schemes, feedback, decision making, organisation structure, autonomy, communication, top down commitment, shared best practice and bottom-up initiatives (Badoo Hall, 2001). The above points show how the culture of an organisation can either facilitate the functioning of software teams or act as a barrier. Rigid structures, poor reward schemes, lack of communication, poor feedback, lack of transparency, poor trust and commitment from the top and little bottom-up initiatives can render the project life cycle difficult, hence resulting into project cancellations and/or completion over estimated budgets. Leadership and Team Dynamics in Software Project Management. It is important to experience progress and well-being by both the team members and the team leader in software projects. Katzenbach (1998) stated that groups of people working together give rise to dynamics which have the effect either of enhancing group performance, or of impeding, even destroying, group efficiency. The group dynamics involve both the team members and the leader. According to Wang et al (2005) team performance derives from the ability of team members to successfully integrate their individual actions, to perform in complex and dynamic environments, to achieve coordination and cohesion and lastly effective team leadership. Team leadership styles can be classified into two types: Transactional and Transformational leadership (Thite, 2000). The transactional leadership style focuses on the contractual relationship between the leader and the subordinates. The relationship is limited to the simple exchange of expected performance in return for certain rewards. On the other hand, the transformational leader motivates followers to perform beyond their expectations, increases the followers sense of the importance and value of tasks, and stimulates members to look beyond their own interests and direct themselves to the interests of the team, organization or larger community (Mankenzie et al, 2001). Pinto (1986) identified effective leadership as a critical success factor for successful projects. Similarly Turner et al (1998) described successful projects as being led by individuals who possess not only technical and management knowledge, but also leadership skills that are internally compatible with the motiva tion of the project team. Although the goals of a project are achieved by the team, appropriate leadership styles such as relationships and task oriented styles can help attain the targets in time and within the allocated resources (Nauman et al, 2010). Leadership fosters empowerment (Malone, 1997) and as mentioned above the latter is an essential ingredient for successful projects. However, according to Eisenberger (2002), effective empowerment is based on the relationship of the team members with the leader. The challenge for the leaders in software projects is to find the balance in managing relationships as well as getting the work done. Another important feature of leadership is motivation. Leaders influence and motivate team members. Software projects are often found to lose momentum following difficulties arising within the Iron Triangle (costs, time and functionality). The task of the team leader is to restore momentum at different stages within the project life cycle. As mentioned by Kotler (1988), leadership means influencing others to take responsibility for identifying, developing, retaining, and motivating talented professionals on the team. On the other hand in his work, Thamhain (2004) concluded that project success is no longer the result of a few expert contributors and skilled project leaders. Rather, project success depends on effective multidisciplinary efforts, involving teams of people and support organizations interacting in a highly complex, intricate, and sometimes even chaotic way. The process requires experiential learning, trial and error, risk taking, as well as the cross-functional coordinat ion and integration of technical knowledge, information, and components. The work of Thamhain (2004) also concluded that Team performance is not random but there are certain criteria which lead to high team performance. These are firstly understanding the needs of team members and designing ways to satisfy these needs, secondly management should support team environment rather than try to control it, thirdly team development must be ongoing and finally team leaders should work with senior management to ensure effective team work. The agency theory (Eisenhardt, 1989) informs that monitoring through leadership reduces shirking which in turn leads to project success. Shirking is the process of evading work, responsibility or duty. In organisation theory, shirking takes place when the agent (employee) has self-interest contrasting with the interest of the principal (employer, team leader, manager). The team leader is responsible for monitoring the project and this involves watching, observing and checking closely or continuously. Mahaney and Lederer (2009) examined the importance of project monitoring in order to avoid the problem of shirking in teams and found that the project monitoring does not necessarily avoid shirking in projects but planning and meetings during monitoring can predict shirking. Although there is no single leadership style applicable to all project situations, it is important to understand the role of leadership in the success of projects. Software project managers need to exhibit leadership traits which will enable them to carry out their function effectively. Linberg (1999) stated that one of the classic mistakes in software development is undermined motivation. A study by Couger and Zawacki (1980) showed that firstly software professionals had substantially higher growth needs than any of the other job categories, secondly increased motivation would occur if the software developers growth needs matched the jobs motivating potential, and thirdly increased software developer job satisfaction was associated with effective supervisory feedback. In the case of software projects, supervisory feedback related to team leader feedback. Hence the need to understand the need of those involved in the project as well striving to find ways to satisfy those needs remain an important responsibility of the team leader. Team dynamics will also interplay with leadership skills to determine the outcomes of the software project. The failure of many large software projects is due to difficulties in managing team-based work (Faraj and Sproull, 2000). According to Hohmann (1997) the most effective software development teams are also the teams that contain a variety of different personality or temperament types. This is also confirmed by Amabile etal (1996) stating thatAmabile, T.M., Conti, R., Coon, H., Lazenby, J. and Herron, M., 1996. Assessing the work environment for creativity. Academy of Management Journal 39, pp. 1154-1184. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (411): Team member diversity and mutual openness to ideas may operate on creativity by exposing individuals to a greater variety of unusual ideas; such exposure has been demonstrated to positively impact creative thinking. Overall team diversity creates the synergy required in software projects however in other cases team diversity may also be a cause of failure for example a software developer may prefer one method and will become de-motivated if a newer development method is used during the project. In his work on adapters and innovators, Kirton (1994) suggested that individuals with an adaptor style prefer stability of work activities whereas individuals with the innovator style prefer new and alternative work activities. Hence such two types of developers may not be able to find a common stable ground in the software project and in turn this might lead to low job satisfaction for either party. Linberg (1999) concluded that team dynamics does impact on software projects, Team members develop their own perceptions about project failure and success and this in turn affects their performance. According to the same study, team leaders have perceptions about project success and failure as well. Shea and Guzzo (1987) introduced the concept of group potency and defined it as the collective belief of a team that it can be effective: the shared belief of team members as a whole. Akgun et al (2007) investigated the relationship between group potency and software project outcome. The study revealed that project teams involve multi-mental models due to the different knowledge, expertise, background, and personalities in the organization. The collective belief of a teams capabilities and efficacy is critical for effective team and project management. Group potency was important for fast software development and lead to less costly development of software and to high performance teams. Hutchins (1991) stated that the cognitive properties of groups can differ from those of their participating members. Software teams are different from other teams existing in an organization. They are formed of knowledge workers who have specific individual expertise embodied into the practical activi ty-based competencies (Blackler, 1995). Moreover, software development teams have a relatively unique structure, wherein the division of labour among members are highly interdependent due to the way in which the finished product is produced; the nature of the software development process is such that the product cannot be seen in its progressive development and this has implications for both team members and team leaders. Ryan and OConnor (2009) found that tacit knowledge is shared through good quality social interaction in the team. Therefore it is important for software team leader or project managers to build team structures which foster the sharing of tacit knowledge. Another pertinent issue in team dynamics is that of conflict. March and Simon (1958) defined conflict simply as the breakdown of the standard mechanisms for decision making. According to Gobeli et al (1998), team or group conflicts can be detrimental to the success of the software projects. Group conflict is a result of poor leadership influence and lack of ability to manage dysfunctional behaviours within teams. However, in many cases, team conflicts emerge out of multiple reasons such as diversity of personalities working together and lack of communication. Group conflict in the context of software teams can lead to a slow down of the progress of the project, hence not satisfying one of the key parts of the Iron triangle, time. For this reason, it important for group conflicts to be managed carefully by team leaders in order to boost team morale and to achieve efficiency. Conclusion As discussed above, software teams are vulnerable to factors emerging from the organization culture, the type of leadership and the team dynamics prevailing in the organization. All three being people-related are rather sensitive and less prone to be easily changed. They have joined the list of critical success factors for software projects. For organizations to have a culture which is conducive to success, the latter needs to be flexible rather than rigid and imposed. As we move towards more open systems at work, it is therefore fundamental for the organization culture to fit into the business context. Changes have to take place from a cultural perspectives to produce the right platform for the success of software projects. Flexibility and openness in organization culture is favored. By the same token, the type of leadership has to be based on the situation and the climate within the software team. This in turn will lead to positive team dynamics and better performances of software projects. Overall it can be concluded that organization culture, the type of leadership and team dynamics can make a difference to a software project and its team. If managed properly, these would help organizations achieve competitive advantage in the market.

JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory

JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory The events that occurred on November 22, 1963 have invoked more intrigue than any other assassination of the twentieth century. Fortunately, because of the advances in technology, the assassination of President Kennedy was recorded in film both with motion and still photography. These graphic souvenirs have been the subject of much research and inquiry. More time has gone into investigating the two minutes surrounding the firing of the fatal shots than any other time period (Arnold, 1997). The assassination of arguably one of the greatest presidents of the United States was seen by hundreds of eyewitness spectators who all qualified as first-person witnesses. The debate that encompasses the assassination includes the dispute whether President Kennedy was the victim of an assassination conspiracy. As one examines the contradictions, eyewitness accounts, and support evidence, various the conclusions may be reached, the main notion that Lee Harvey Oswald may have not been solely respons ible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but acted simultaneously with other unknown conspirators. On Nov. 22, 1963 President Kennedy and his wife were in Dallas, Texas trying to strengthen his political campaign for his upcoming election. While in his motorcade, President Kennedy was fatally shot from a sixth floor warehouse window. As the shots were being fired, a member of the Secret Service jumped on the back of the car and dove  on top of the president, shielding him (Groden, 1993). During the shooting, Governor Connally suffered injuries to his right side. Although the Governor was badly wounded,  he survived. At 1:00 p.m. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at the Parkland Hospital. Later that afternoon aboard Air Force One, Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States of America (Groden, 1993). As President Kennedys motorcade turned left onto Elm Street a series of gunshots rang out. Kennedy was struck twice and Governor Connally was struck once. The public was outraged that President Kennedy was murdered and wanted an explanation. President Lyndon B. Johnson set up the Warren Commission, lead by Earl Warren, to head investigation. The Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin in the murder of John F. Kennedy. According to the official report from the Warren Commission all three shots came from the sixth story of the Texas School Book Depository (Kallen, 2003). Thus, the Commission surmised that Oswald had been completely responsible. Lee Harvey Oswald was claimed as the sole assassin of President Kennedy. Oswald had been very disgruntled with the government ever since he had been discharged from the United States Marine Corps. Following his discharge, he moved to the Soviet Union attempting to acquire citizenship and after being denied citizenship, he returned to the United States (Newman, 1995). The year Oswald shot and killed President  Kennedy, he moved to Dallas, Texas where he plotted the assassination of the president with numerous co-conspirators (Newman, 1995). The angle of the bullets caused a lot of controversy. After the assassination, the first official autopsy on the human body took place on President Kennedy. There were two autopsies on President Kennedy, one in Bethesda Naval Hospital, and another in Parkland Hospital in Dallas. In Bethesda, the doctors said that the bullets had entered President Kennedys body in this upper portion of the neck, and emerged out of the neck about 2 centimeters above his bow tie (Kallen, 2003). However, the doctors at Parkland Hospital said that the back wounds were lower, and had different modes of entry. Parkland doctors found that the bullets entered about 2 centimeters above the Presidents bow tie, and emerged out of his lower back, about 14 centimeters below the entering wound (Kallen, 2003). With that trajectory, the gunman would have to have been situated well above the President, an impossible shot. The Warren Commission completely ignored these findings and did not make mention of them in the official report (Kallen, 2003). The Warren Commission also ignored the opinions of experts as well as eyewitness accounts and the sounds coming from police radios. The latter of these proofs were the recordings captured on the radio traffic of the Dallas Police Department. These radios were in the possession of police officers who were positioned close to the motorcade and adjacent to a railroad yard and a grassy knoll. The first two gunshots could be heard faintly in the distance while the third was noticeably louder and presumably fired closer to where the officers were stationed (Prouty, 1992). The recordings were analyzed by experts and a joint conclusion was made. In December of 1963, two of the expert investigators, Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschkenasy, testified before the House Assassination Committee. In their conclusion Professor Weiss stated that with the probability of ninety-five percent or better the third shot came from the grassy knoll (Arnold, 1997). Furthermore, several innocent bystanders also confirmed that gunfire came from the grassy knoll. These witnesses included six railroad workers who confirmed reports of smoke being seen in the area surrounding the grassy knoll immediately after the shooting stopped (Prouty, 1992). Additionally, several onlookers heard the sharp crack of a rifle report behind them as they observed the Presidents motorcade (Prouty, 1992). Perhaps the most compelling account is the description given by Senator Ralph Yarborough who  rode in the motorcade a few cars behind President Kennedys limousine. The Senator stated that after driving by the grassy knoll you could smell [gun] powder on our car nearly all the way to Parkland Hospital (Prouty, 1992). The common link between the assassination of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald was Jack Ruby, the man who killed Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Department Headquarters. Many people questioned why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Was this a cover up to keep him from talking about his part in this tragedy? Ruby was a nightclub owner and a local strongman with strong ties to organized crime (Lindopy, 1992). His associates included Joseph Campisi, a top-ranked  Dallas Mafia member and Carlos Marcello, the head of the New Orleans crime family (Arnold, 1997). According to eyewitness accounts and swore affidavits, Ruby met with these men and other Mafia members in several meetings in the period of time leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy (Arnold, 1997). Also, numerous phone calls  including long-distance calls were placed between Ruby and his Mafia associates before the assassination (Arnold, 1997). In fact Ruby was so involved with organized crime t hat he was referred to as one of our boys by the Mafia leadership (Prouty, 1992). When the United States House of Representatives issued their final report in the spring of 1964, they reported that the logical and probable inference of the assassination of President Kennedy was that the President was killed as the result of a conspiracy (Prouty, 1992). This conclusion was in direct disagreement with the Warren  Commissions presumption of Oswald as the lone gunman. There is strong evidence to suggest that the Mafia ordered the death of President Kennedy as a penalty for meddling with the affairs of organized crime. Jack Ruby was simply used as a pawn by murdering the only suspect. By 1963, the Kennedy administration had become much evolved and somewhat successful in its attempts to prosecute the Mafia. This was evident though the Justice Departments triumph in sending several Mafia leaders to prison and dismantling its control over some parts of its realm including illegal gambling and loan sharking (Lindopy, 1992). President Kennedys brother, Robert Bobby Kennedy, was the Attorney General of the United States and largely responsible for these Federal indictments and prosecutions. Bobby Kennedy could have overlooked the destruction of organized crime but instead chose to target the Mafia from the highest levels of its organization (Lindopy, 1992). Additionally, the Mafia had set a precedent of killing or removing from power those opposed to their agenda. Examples of this treachery include the assassination of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, United Auto Workers President Walter Reuther and UAW-AFL President John Kilpatrick (Lindopy, 1992). Each of these men was murdered for opposing the Mafias plans or speaking out against them. Thus the stage may have been set for the assassination of President Kennedy. The second major theory surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy involves the United States primary spy network, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During the Second World War the Central Intelligence Agency possessed much power. Their policy and decision making affected nearly every aspect of the war from key military offences to the decree to drop the atomic bomb on Japan (Newman, 1995). After the War, the CIA continued planning governmental strategies and exercised great power until the failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castros Cuban government at the Bay of Pigs. Deeply angered by this CIA disaster, President Kennedy and his advisors decided that Allen Dulles, the Director of the CIA, and other top level staff must go (Prouty, 1992). In  fact, President Kennedy was so angered by the botched maneuver that he vowed to shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces (Prouty, 1992). In November of 1961, President  Kennedy fired Director Dulles and his top aides throwing the CIA into a state of semi-disarray (Prouty, 1992). Furthermore, President Kennedy was determined to remove all United States military personnel from Vietnam, effectively ending U.S. involvement in Asia. This move worried the CIA in addition to several large companies providing armaments for the war effort (Newman, 1995). The CIA felt that while the ending of the war may have economic implications, the main fault of this idea was that it would leave American interests vulnerable having no visible military presence in the Far East (Prouty, 1992). The CIA was resolute to reverse the Presidents plan no matter what the cost (Newman, 1995). In August through October of 1962, the CIA met with the President and his advisors to attempt to change his intentions in Vietnam. When President Kennedy refused to negotiate with the intelligence community the stage was set for his assassination (Newman, 1992). After Kennedys assassination and despite the overwhelming evidence of multiple shooters, the news reports spoke only of Oswald as the lone assassin. This lack of information to the public was the brainchild of the CIA in its attempt to cover-up the facts (Newman, 1992). This craftily constructed plot was carefully monitored by skilled agents who could control certain key facets of the bureaucracy, the Warren Commission and the news media (Prouty, 1992). This activity caused J. Lee Rankin, the commissions general counsel to say, Part of our difficulty in regard to the assassination in that they  have decided that it is Oswald who committed the assassination.  They have decided that no one else was involved (Prouty, 1992). Perhaps the most compelling evidence for the CIAs involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy was the quick reversal of Kennedys policies by Lyndon B. Johnson, the man who followed John F. Kennedy in the Presidency. Whether for political reasons or for self-preservation, President Johnson both supported the Warren Commissions findings and reversed the course of Kennedys Vietnam policy (Newman, 1005). Perhaps Johnson too, feared for his life and would not oppose the effective power of the CIA (Prouty, 1992). In any case, a strong argument exists to support the theory that the CIA was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. There is no serious question that Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy and Governor Connally. Oswald took a rifle to work, claiming the long package contained curtain rods (Semple, 2003). There was no eyewitness to him shooting the rifle from inside the building, though a witness saw him from the street and gave a rough description to the police. The rifle was found hidden on the sixth floor. It was the same gun Oswald had ordered through the mail and it had Oswalds fingerprints on it (Kallen, 2003). The bullets causing the wound to President Kennedy and Governor Connally were matched to this gun. Boxes used to make the snipers lair had Oswalds prints on them as well (Aynesworth, 2003). Oswald fled the scene and later shot a police officer who had stopped him for routine questioning. While in detention, he told numerous easily-discoverable lies to police interrogators (Aynesworth, 2003). For many countries around the world, November 22, 1963 is just another date on the calendar. But for America, it represents one of the darkest days in the history of this still very young nation. It represented the end of Americas innocence. It forced America to wake up, rub its virgin eyes and experience the world for what it really is: a cold, harsh reality that we were not ready to deal with. There is no question that Lee Harvey Oswald was directly involved in the shootings of President Kennedy and Governor Connally. But  overwhelming evidence and contradictions support the theory that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was much more then just a lone attack, giving way to one of the greatest conspiracies ever imagined and changing America forever.

Westward Expansion Essay -- essays research papers

Book Review – Westward Expansion 1807 - 1880 THESIS: After the War of 1812 much of America's attention turned to exploration and settlement of its territory to the West, which had been greatly enlarged by the Louisiana Purchase. SUMMARY: Families of pioneers swept westward and founded new communities throughout what is now the Midwest, and between 1816 and 1821, six new states were admitted to the Union. The land boom was fed by encouragement from the federal government and the actions of land speculators, who bought up large tracts of land in order to sell it in parcels to farmers at exorbitant prices. These farmers did not mind high prices and high interest on loans due to the growing success of American agricultural products. Most western farmers became cash croppers who sometimes neglected subsistence farming in order to focus on marketable commodities. Soon the farmers' dependence on distant markets caught up with them, however, as the state bank system that had sprung up to support speculation collapsed, dragging agricultural prices and land values down with it. Many western settlers suffered greatly during the Panic of 1819, but most survived and continued the conquest of the West. A major aspect of the conquest of the West was the removal of the Indians who dwelled there. Under the leadership of President Andrew Jackson, the Indians who remained East of the Mississippi were cruelly and violently driven from their homes and concentrated in reservations in what is ...

Singer’s Practical Ethics Essay -- Papers Poverty Theory

Singer’s Practical Ethics St. Augustine once stated, â€Å"The superfluities of the rich are the necessities of the poor. When you possess in excess, you possess what belongs to the poor† (Church 3). This quotation expresses that the less fortunate in our world deserve to own a part of all the excess luxuries that are owned by the more wealthy people. Therefore, anything beyond the necessities of life can be considered something that the poor should retain. This idea is very similar to that of Peter Singer, who contends that the injustice of people who live in abundance while others starve is morally inexcusable. He argues that anyone who is able to aid the poor ought to donate in order to help the crisis of world poverty and similar endeavors. Singer explains that if one is already living comfortably, the act of acquiring luxuries to increase pleasure does not entail the same moral importance as saving someone’s life. Since he is a utilitarian, he judges whether acts are right or wrong based on the consequences the action brings. Therefore, if the consequence of the wealthy people’s failure to donate money is that another poor person dies, then that is just as bad as killing them, since they are consciously letting them die. In his work, Practical Ethics, Singer offers his thoughts about one’s obligations to world poverty and suggests what must be done to fix this dilemma. He questions whether it is ethical for people to live a life of luxury while they allow others to barely survive, or even die. In the world today, there are two extremes of world poverty: absolute affluence and absolute poverty. The basic definition ... ...h is distributed in the world. There is no reason why some people should lead such luxurious lives, while worrying about nonessential lavishness, as opposed to one’s survival like those in absolute poverty do. As people who live in a country of absolute affluence, we are all in the situation where we can choose between sacrificing our luxuries to save a child versus living in excess and allowing the poor to die. What if everything that we take for granted was removed from our lives? We would then live day to day as a means to survive, and only then would we truly understand the lives of those in absolute poverty. BIBLIOGRAPHY Denny, Father Jack. â€Å"The Church in Action.† Received in Theology class on April 1, 2004. Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Food Waste Essay

Food waste or food loss is food material that is discarded or unable to be used. Various political organizations and entities have their own definition of what constitutes food waste. The causes of wasted food are numerous, and occur at the stages of production, processing, and retailing. As of 2011, 1.3 billion tons of food, about one third of the global food production, is lost or wasted annually. Loss and wastage occurs on all steps in the food supply chain. In low-income countries, most loss occurs during production, while in developed countries much food – about 100 kilograms (220 lb) per person and year – is wasted at the consumption stage. Definitions of food waste vary, among other things, in what food waste consists of, how it is produced, and where or what it is discarded from or generated by. Definitions also vary because certain groups do not consider (or have traditionally not considered) food waste to be a waste material, due to its applications. Some defi nitions of what food waste consists of are based on other waste definitions (e.g. agricultural waste) and which materials do not meet their definitions. Here are some of the facts about the wastage of food: †¢If we planted trees on land currently used to grow unnecessary surplus and wasted food, this would offset a theoretical maximum of 100% of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion. †¢10% of rich countries’ greenhouse gas emissions come from growing food that is never eaten. †¢UK Households waste around 20% of all the food they buy – but the good news is that this suggests a 17% reduction since 2007. †¢Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. †¢Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes). †¢The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crop (2.3 billion tonnes in 2009/2010). In developing and developed countries which operate either commercial or industrial agriculture, food waste can occur at most stages of the food industry and in significant amounts. In subsistence agriculture, the amounts of food waste are unknown, but are likely to be insignificant by comparison, due to the limited stages at which waste can occur, and given that food is grown for projected need as opposed to a global marketplace demand. Nevertheless, on-farm losses in storage in developing countries, particularly in African countries, can be high although the exact nature of such losses is much debated. Research into the food industry of the United States, whose food supply is the most diverse and abundant of any country in the world, found food waste occurring at the beginning of food production. From planting, crops can be subjected to pest infestations and severe weather, which cause losses before harvest. Since natural forces (e.g. temperature and precipitation) remain the prima ry drivers of crop growth, losses from these can be experienced by all forms of outdoor agriculture. The use of machinery in harvesting can cause waste, as harvesters may be unable to discern between ripe and immature crops, or collect only part of a crop. Economic factors, such as regulations and standards for quality and appearance, also cause food waste; farmers often harvest selectively, preferring to leave crops not to standard in the field (where they can be used as fertilizer or animal feed), since they would otherwise be discarded later. One way of dealing with food waste is to reduce its creation. This attitude has been promoted by campaigns from advisory and environmental groups, and by concentrated media attention on the subject. Consumers can reduce their food waste output at points-of-purchase and in their homes by adopting some simple measures; planning when shopping for food is important, and spontaneous purchases are shown as often the most wasteful. Proper knowledge of food storage reduces foods becoming inedible and thrown away. Through initiatives such as Cambio verde, farmers can provide surplus produce (produce they would otherwise discard due to too low prices/kg) to people that provide glass, and other waste.

Barn Burning-Faulkner

Nancy Wood Ms. Worthington Eng 102 Feb. 14th, 2013 Analysis Of Barn Burning-William Faulkner How is the setting in the Barn Burning southern? There are many things that prove this story is very southern and they are as follows: the use of the word N___er, reference â€Å"share cropping after the Civil War†, (The History Channel) a Nigro servant in what is plainly an Plantation like house, the father was in the war as an Confederate soldier, and several stereo typical southern references as well as the use of common southern accents.. The use of â€Å"N___er† (AFRAKA) is used multiple times in this story.It is used openly and without shame in regard to any person of color referenced in the story. This term is not as acceptable as it used to be, in reference to people of color, the term black is acceptable now in the south even though it doesn’t matter what one’s skin color is, we are in fact equal. â€Å"It is probable that n—er is a phonetic spelli ng of the white southern mispronunciation of nego† The family that is the focus of this story is sharecroppers, Landless laborers who rent land from landowners in return for a portion of their crop.The sharecropping system was developed as a way for landowners to establish a work force after the abolition of slavery in the south. To this day landowners still rent their land to the landless so that both can make a profit. Plantation houses of the classic antebellum style are indicative of the southern society before and after the civil war. The one referenced in the story is described as huge and white such as the antebellum style. It is indicated to be of the plantation by a comment by the father. â€Å"Pretty and white ain’t it, that sweat n___er sweat, maybe it ain’t white enough yet to suit him. . † (Faulkner)† The father was indicated as being in the civil war. He was supposed to have been in â€Å"colonel satoris cav’ry†(calvary). It was stated at the end of the story that the father had been a â€Å"Malbrouck† a soldier who had no loyalty to superiors flag or country and simply used the instance of war to rob and sell anything he could get his hands on for his own gain. He even named his own son Colonel Satoris Snopes in reference to his days as a soldier. As with the other stuff to prove southern tone, we have the whipper-whirl (bird which is known for a destintive call) and named for as such.Cherokee roses are growing all around the area around the landscape, they are also accept along the southern landscape as well. This story portrays southerners as uneducated at times, including words as mis-pronounicatins, such as Nigro being N___er, a final indenication is that people with that background of education, well all was a true miscommunication at the times. The main character’s sister showed the most misuncomprohensable remark as a† remark of ignorce. † (Faulkner) As one that live or have lived in that time, I am sure our predessors have been greatly improve on their attitudes and their beliefs.As I would not have approved of all of this except I wasn’t alive at the time. With the exception of great, great, great grand-parents that wouldn’t have seen it from my eyes. Bibliography AFRAKA. n. d. 13 Feb. 2013 . Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Harpers, 1939. The History Channel. n. d. 13 Feb. 2013 . Works Cited AFRAKA. n. d. 13 Feb. 2013 . Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Harpers, 1939. The History Channel. n. d. 13 Feb. 2013 .