Saddam Husseins Execution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Saddam Husseins Execution - Essay Example President of the United States, George Bush applied his doctrine of pre-emption and US forces entered Afghanistan. In pursuance of this policy, the Bush administration went a bit further and made an effort to win hearts and minds of the Muslims. Once again the old rivals of first Gulf war were confronting each other. But this time the objective was even bigger. The allied forces led by US troops, made a plan and showed determination to get rid of Saddam Hussain once and for all. This would have given two clear benefits namely support from the long suppressed Iraqi nation, who would welcome any positive change and secondly the permanent footings in the region of middle east that has enormous value because of its precious mineral resources (Mike Shuster 2006). The Arab world wanted freedom from the fearful and despotic rule of Saddam Hussein and US promised exactly that (Hasan Abu Nimah 2007). Although some of the analysts claim that the war was unjustified on the grounds that it did not have the backing of United Nations. Still others say that this was the only way to relieve the Iraqi nation of its miseries. This is the way that would pave well for the conducive environment for democracy. A democratic government in Iraq would be a basis for stability of the country and the region. But the incidents like the Abu Gharaib added to American problems, need to send more troops than pulling out and the rising death toll on daily basis aggravated the situation and changed the whole scenario. The Bush administration started losing its support of allied forces and among the American public. The insurgencies against the forces started rising tremendously and the Arab world lost confidence in the United States. The whole world began to doubt and started criticizing the policies and strategies of the American leadership. Thus, President Bush had to think of some way out to recover the messed up state of affairs. He therefore, decided to bring Saddam under trial and the Iraqi court sentenced him to death. Soon after his death the air is heavy with accusation as the implication of grotesquely botched lynching sink in. What should have been an act of justice following due process had the baying malice of an execution. A legal execution intended to show at last that the period of Saddam is over-threatened to have the conflicting effects. Whilst a tyrant of exceptional violence is publicized dying with pride and no slight valor at the hands of covered thugs. No doubt American officials are cleansing their hands of this whole shocking concern, and Tony Blair is saying no to make any remark from his Miami poolside. There is some fairness in American statements that it is the Iraqi PM, Nouri al-Maliki, who has to take the burden of blame for this fiasco. He outshined religious and legal reactions to rush the death sentence. The Iraqi constitution wants President Jalal Talabani and his two colleagues to sign a verdict of authorization for 'the death sentence'. Mr Maliki efficiently disregarded this obligation. Even more rabble-rousing to the extent that Iraq's Sunni minority is concerned was his breach of the Iraqi decree that executions should not occur during the Eid al-Adha, the Muslim's celebration day. For Sunnis, that

The role of His Highness Shiekh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nhayan in the Essay

The role of His Highness Shiekh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nhayan in the formation of the UAE - Essay Example While the cities are growing at a rapid pace, the economies are also boosting, resulting in employment and social prospects for the people. Amongst the developed nations of today’s world, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of it. United Arab Emirates is a legitimate alliance that came into formulation in the last quarter of 1971, consists of seven emirates that are â€Å"Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah, and Fujairah† (Miller, pp. 35-79, 2004). UAE is located in Southwest Asia and its border connects with Qatar to its west side, Oman lies to its north and east and Saudi Arabia is at its south and west part. Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iran connect the sea boundary with UAE (Miller, pp. 35-79, 2004). Abu Dhabi is considerably the biggest city of the federation amongst all the other emirates and is the capital of United Arab Emirates, which is the focal point of political and industrial functioning. Ajman is the smallest emirate of UAE and su bsumes the nominal area of the whole. A mixture of topography is present in UAE. More than half of the entire area of it is a barren region and desert, nevertheless, this country comes under the category of one of the most urbanized, developed and beautiful places in the world. Distinct and divergent sceneries, overwhelming sandbanks, rich oases, sheer and steep rock-strewn mountains and fruitful prairie are all geographical factors that highlight the beauty of UAE (Miller, pp. 35-79, 2004). UAE is a state, which has made the use of the modern technologies to its fullest and has included its name in one of the world’s fastest growing states. UAE not only worked on expansion of the emirate but it paid scores of attention in developing its tourism due to its classy infrastructure, thus, putting efforts on building numerous shopping malls, high-class hotels and restaurants and holiday resorts. With its widespread and beautiful sandy beaches, diverse sceneries, deserts, diverse s ports activities, shopping, resorts and captivating customary traditional culture makes UAE a perfect and an ideal place for a holiday. Since bygone eras, geological location is of utmost importance as it makes UAE easily accessible to different parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Indian Ocean has a brawny weight on the climatic conditions of UAE due to the reason that it touches the borders of Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, therefore, the atmospheric conditions of UAE comes under the dry, scorched, and parched tropical zone. Due to this reason, UAE experiences intense warmth and heat that comes with humidity in the summer seasons particularly in the coastal areas. The temperature deviations between the coastal regions, deserts, and hilly areas observe a clear and visible pattern. The nights of UAE to some extent are chilly than that of the daytime weather (Rashid & Nel, pp. 25-55, 2001). Despite of the fact that UAE is a country that has a president and has come into formation, it e ncompasses neither a lawful kingdom or absolute monarchy, nor a democracy. It comprises of seven separate kingdoms, which comes under governance by seven different authorities, each having its own supremacy and domination. Though the rulers of all the federations select a president, the ultimate power remains in the hands of these monarchs called emirs/sheikhs. A constitution of UAE do not guide the emirs as to

Hw assignment revised Essay Example for Free

Hw assignment revised Essay Culture includes everything about a particular groups way of life; from high art to the most ordinary behavior (what we eat for breakfast, for example). It is defined as the manner of life for a whole society and the sum of socially transmitted behavioral patterns and can be classified into values, norms, institutions and artifacts. The set of distinctive features of a society or a social group, which includes emotional, spiritual and intellectual, can be called as culture. It encompasses the community’s ways of existing together, its value systems, customs and ideals. Everything we do, from our food to our behavior can be considered as culture. From the essay, â€Å"From Culture to Hegemony, culture is defined as the norm of life. Barthes who used the model of linguist de Saussure, sought to uncover the latent meanings of the norms. He tried it from boxing to little things. Transmission of culture is done through language, material objects, customs, institutions, and art, passed from one generation to another generation. Usually, this transmission remains intact and â€Å"pure†; however, when foreign influences set in either through cultural diffusion and/or assimilation, naturally, the native culture will have become irreparably modified. In â€Å"From a Native Daughter†, Haunaini-Kay Trask, bemoans the rape of her native lands culture. How the haole invaded their land and proceeded to change their history. For her historians like the missionaries from whom she had her education, were a part of then colonizing horde, one part colonized the spirit and the other the mind. She believed that any outsider were to understand them, one should first know their language, their songs, their chants, their customs, and their bond with the aina (the land). She said, â€Å"This bond is cultural, it can only be understood culturally†¦Ã¢â‚¬  IDEOLOGY: Ideology includes the underlying ideas that shape culture. These ideas are often what we take for granted, i. e. they are unconscious. For example, the idea that success is gained through going to college and getting a high paying job seems so obvious as to be truth. However, it is part of an ideology. A trick in identifying ideologies is to look for undefined terms in a statement. What does success mean and where did that meaning come from? Ideology is the organized collection of underlying ideas that shape the culture. Being unconscious, they are often taken for granted. They are abstract thoughts applied to reality and every society has an ideology on which they base their actions on. From Marx’s Ideology as quoted in Subculture: the meaning of Style by Dick Hebdidge, ideology is defined as a set of common beliefs that lie beneath the awareness commonly known as â€Å"common sense†. This common sense, although transparently, validates ideas. These taken for granted phenomena can function as signs, which in turn, will reflect the reality of the culture and can be analyzed through mapping them on a range of potential meanings. Power and class are parameters which extends and vary ideology thus making it achievable to have different levels of divided labor. Our education system is the one who is responsible in instilling the ideology into the individuals of the society. In other words, the ideologies are maps of probable meanings which serve to have persons think their way into positions of power or subordination. HEGEMONY: A form of power usually built on ideologies. Instead of bullying (i. e. using coercion) to get your way, its easier and more sustainable to make your victim believe that your way is the right way. For example, car makers dont have to force us to buy new cars at gunpoint; its easier to make us think that getting a new car every couple of years is simply what one does. The underlying ideology might be that newness equals human progress. Hegemony is the subtle almost undetected authority of one individual over another and/or one group of people over another group. This dominance however doesn’t use threats or force. Naturally, the dominant party in our society has their advantages. For example, a dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage. Moreover, our cultural perspectives became in favor of the dominant group. It controls the way ideas are discarded or neutralized. It happens in a process where hegemony alters our notions of common sense of a given society. According to the Gramsci, hegemony is the association of social groups exerting total social authority through coercion, imposition of thought or shaping consent. Familiar examples of this include the selling of cars where you coerce your buyers to buy because it is only right that you get yourself a car and thinking that it is simply what one does after a few years of using an old car. It may also because of the ideology that’s behind it is that a new car means an improvement in your lifestyle. Hall is also quoted in Subculture: the meaning of style, in the chapter, From Culture to Hegemony, Hall (1977) was cited saying, â€Å"hegemony refers to the situation in which a provisional alliance of a certain social group exerts total social authority over other subordinate groups not only through coercion or by the direct imposition of ruling ideas but by winning and shaping consent so that the power of the dominating class appears to be legitimate and natural†¦ â€Å" DEFAMILIARIZATION: Lastly, defamiliarization, also called â€Å"ostanenie† is a method of forcing the audience to see common things in an unfamiliar way. It is done in order to improve the insight of the familiar. Religion is a tried and tested way of bringing order to a world of chaotic events. In the article, World View and the Analysis of Sacred Symbols, from the Antioch Review by Clifford Geertz wherein he describes how religion is composed of sets of symbols that are in turn composed of meanings that can only be stored in the symbols. He says that a people’s ethos is the way they dress or their movements and the way they talk. In general it is the quality of their lives while the world view is the cognitive aspect reflects how the people view the natural order of things as they are found in their world. All of these things are in some way or another affected by the religion of the people. Geertz considers the wajang as the clearest illustration of the relationship between the metaphysical (i. e. religion, belief etc†¦) and the people of Java’s actual values. The wajang is the ritual shadow play using puppets that usually lasts all night and well into the early morning. The gamelan is the director musician and storyteller all in one. The most famous characters in the wajang are the Pendawas and the Korawas, and their endless wars. The Pendawas represent the five senses that must always work together to come up with just and good decisions. They represent calm detachment from the everyday events of life which is the way these myths are interpreted and translated into the actual culture that is in the peoples of Java. The Korawas on the other hand represent passion and indiscretion. They are the representative icons that depict the capacity of religion not only to set the standards of ideal living but also delineate the workings of evil and destruction. Just like the Navajo looks at everything that is good and productive as in the form of a circle and thus evokes the circle in everything they do, so does the Javanese in their quest to detach themselves from the passions of everyday life to transcend into inner serenity and peace. Their world views affect their ethos and in turn dictate how they view their reality and consequently how they react to it. The concept of defamiliarization as defined above is also effectively illustrated in the article by George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant. In this article he tells the readers how he had to kill the elephant not because he had to do it to save the people, or because it is truly a danger, in spite of it having killed a â€Å"coolie†, he says that he killed the animal to save himself from looking like a fool it is expected of him to not be afraid, to be consistent (and thus consistent in his initial impulse to kill the elephant). His nationality and the empire he represents have created such a concept that as a member of the empire he is expected to conform to. Thus his actions no matter how mundane and ordinary they are will not have correspondingly simple interpretations at least as far as the natives are concerned.

Can Regulation Of Tobacco Affect Health Care Costs Economics Essay

Can Regulation Of Tobacco Affect Health Care Costs Economics Essay The economic calculations associated with tobacco use are very complicated. For every savings, there are increased costs in other areas. Many productivity costs are subjective, while things like tax revenues are very definitive. These costs can be absorbed by various entities; public, private, and governmental. The tobacco industry has been viewed as the root of many of these costs. This industry has historically been exempt from oversight by any governmental agency, other than taxation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently taken charge of overseeing and regulating many tobacco products, including cigarettes. Can the new regulations have any effect on health care costs? Why is tobacco use such a big deal? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, responsible for one in ten adults and the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide (2010). Costs (both public and private) associated with health care related to tobacco are astronomical. Productivity is reduced or lost when people are at their prime due to tobacco use. A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US$ 200 thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing countries (World Health, 2010). This paper will look at the costs associated with tobacco use in the United States and the relationship regulation may have on reducing these costs. Compared to the length of time tobacco has been used, the health effects of its use are just recently becoming understood by the general public. Prior to this knowledge, the tobacco companies were free to advertise without any regulation. 1789 saw the first tobacco advertisement in the U.S for snuff. Communication, transportation, and manufacturing constraints of the time prevented any major branding and marketing successes. The first strong national tobacco brand didnt emerge until near the end of the Civil War, when both Union and Confederate soldiers in Durham, North Carolina raided a local farmers tobacco crop while waiting for a surrender to be completed. After the war was over, these soldiers began writing to the farmer, Mr. John Green, requesting more; Green went on to establish the successful Bull Durham Tobacco Company. (Collins Lapsley, 2010) The cigarette machine was one of the two major innovations that changed the industry and embedded tobacco into the minds of Americans. It was introduced in the 1880s and allowed companies to go from producing 40,000 hand-rolled cigarettes a day to over 4 million. The other major innovation came in the form of advertising. The color lithograph revolutionized advertising and packaging. These factors allowed companies to brand their products, searing them into the fabric of everyday life. Promotions, such as trading cards, were packaged with cigarettes and became collectors items. World War II came and went with millions of soldiers and sailors addicted to nicotine courtesy of free cigarettes issued along with meals. Marketing remained pretty much unregulated throughout the 1950s. Advertisements promoted how healthy it was to smoke and how doctors (whom the public trusted) recommend one brand over another. Sponsorship of television shows, like The Flintstones and Gunsmoke, propelled cigarette smoking into a normal and expected part of life. For tobacco companies, it was the Golden Age: cigarette ads featured endorsements from dentists, doctors, babies and even Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle (Collins Lapsley, 2010). Research evidence was beginning to mount of a link between tobacco use and lung cancer. Filtered cigarettes were born, which eventually led to light and low tar brands all of which have been proven to be no safer than regular ones. Rising public interest in health issues associated with tobacco use and concern about social costs associated with the care of sick tobacco users have created an atmosphere less tolerant than before. In the United States, social acceptance of tobacco use is rapidly declining. 1964 saw the first real public scrutiny of the tobacco industry when the U.S. Surgeon General released his first report on Smoking and Health. This comprehensive report outlined how tobacco had been shown in over 7,000 scientific studies to be linked to lung cancer, emphysema, and other diseases. This was the tipping point for many. Warning labels were mandated on packages. Advertising restrictions for radio and television were put in place. The public was put on notice that tobacco may not be all the things the industry was telling them. 18 Surgeon General reports have followed, as new findings have been proven. In 1996, cigarettes were labeled an addictive drug. The FDA sought to gain control over the industry and limit the sales and advertising of tobacco products (Brant, July 2008). With presidential support, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the industry in 2000 claiming the federal agency was never given the proper authority to regulate tobacco by Congress (Brant, July 2008). Restrictions are not new to the tobacco industry. Extremely deep pockets have allowed them the opportunity to design ways around most hurdles in the past (See Appendix). Regulation comes in many forms. State and local governments have passed laws throughout the years, most of which regard taxation. The recent passage of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) tobacco regulation bill will give the national government much more power over the manufactures actions. This is the broadest and most comprehensive regulation over the tobacco industry ever. The FDA will be able to control product ingredients, labeling, marketing, and determine whether new products should be distributed. The budgetary impact of smoking Costs related to tobacco use can be looked at from different perspectives. There are related costs that are only seen by the individual, their family, and those close to them. Then there are the costs that are seen by society. These social costs are what drive many of the regulatory policies we have in the U.S. These costs must be balanced and weighed with the benefits associated with tobacco use. Organizations from several fronts are quick to weigh in on advantages and disadvantages of such policies. Each has their own agendas and use data to support them. High social costs justify more restrictive policies, while lower social costs support the argument against such policies. Calculating these costs is not simple. It is important not to count the same costs twice. A sick smoker that becomes dependent upon welfare payments instead of their job salary should not be seen as lost productivity and the cost of welfare payments. The first is a real cost (a real loss of resources) while the second is a pecuniary cost (a redistribution of resources from taxpayers to the smoker) (Adhikari, et al. December 30, 2008, p. 1227). Health care costs in the United States continue to account for an ever increasing percentage of personal and public expenditures. The budgetary impact of tobacco use generally is looked at as whether the tax revenues cover the costs that tobacco use imparts on government agencies. These costs are not just paid by these agencies. Personal and business costs, such as those of health insurance companies, bear massive burdens too. While we are often asked: Do smokers cover the smoking-related costs that the rest of the community bears?, the more relevant question is: Does the tobacco industry cover the communitys smoking-related costs?. The answer to this second question is almost certainly no' (Lindblom, 2010, p. 2). It has been estimated by the CDC that each pack of cigarettes sold in the United States costs the nation more than $7 in medical care and lost productivity (2010). The lifetime health costs of tobacco It is important to understand the difference between the lifetime personal health care costs of smokers compared to non-smokers. There is an argument that smoking provides benefits as well. It may be obvious that smokers have higher costs during their lifetimes, but one must consider the non-smoker lives a longer, more productive life, and therefore uses health care services for a longer period of time. Philip Morris, a major tobacco company conducted a detailed data analysis and submitted a 1999 official report to the government of the Czech Republic that they should let Philip Morris sell cigarettes in their country. They (Philip Morris) said that the government would save approximately $1,227 US per person on savings of health care for older people and increase in taxable revenue (Philip Morris, 2000). The industry is in a catch 22 situation when arguing this point. Premature death associated with tobacco use must be admitted and the economics must outweigh human life. The Center for Disease control estimates that male smokers have approximately $16,500 more lifetime health care cost and females have approximately $19,500 than those that do not smoke. (Campaign, 2010) This adds up to considerable amounts that someone must absorb. The nationwide total in 2004 was almost $98 billion(Adhikari, et al. 2008, p. 2228). Measures to reduce tobacco demand There are many different regulatory measures that can be used to significantly impact tobacco use, such as bans on direct and indirect tobacco advertising, tobacco tax and price increases, smoke-free environments in all public and workplaces, and large clear graphic health messages on tobacco packaging (Collins Lapsley, 2010). Tobacco taxation Taxation is probably the most effective (and certainly the most cost-effective) means of reducing tobacco consumption. Studies have shown that higher prices equate to less people using, especially youth. Young people have less disposable income than older people. This makes them more sensitive to changes in price. Adult tobacco use also changes in relation to price increase too, but not as much as youth. Burman notes that research has shown that a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes would reduce youth smoking by more than 10 percent (Brandt, July 31, 2008, p. 447). Taxes can be used to this benefit, along with the increase in public funds that can be focused on tobacco prevention programs. Cigarette taxes can be seen as a double edged sword. Governments can become as addicted to the tobacco tax income as smokers are to lighting up every day. The amounts of money are astronomical. The President of the United States, Barack Obama signed into law on February 4, 2009 a 62-cent federal tax increase per pack of cigarettes, along with increases in other types of tobacco too. This money is to be used to fund the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a major childrens health reform package. The federal cigarette tax is $1.01 per pack and the average state tax is just over $1.00 per pack. According to the Tax Trade Bureau, over 16 billion state tax-paid packs were sold in FY2009. The total tobacco revenue generated for government use is approximately $39 billion. This significant figure is enough to get any legislator looking for the source and wondering how to keep it. Several states have hoped to fund health care with tobacco dollars. Massachusetts, California, Oregon, and even the federal SCHIP program have come under heavy opposition from the tobacco industry. The SCHIP program was finally approved, but the other propositions ultimately failed. The primary argument used against such taxes is that a tobacco tax is a regressive tax, meaning that it affects poor people more so than others. Approximately 33 percent of those living at or below the poverty level smoke. The argument is that a greater portion of their income is spent on tobacco, and therefore the tax would be greater. Counter to this argument for the SCHIP funding is that the program is designed to disproportionately benefit those in this income level. And so, under an expanded SCHIP, low-income families would have essentially paid $164 to get $1,700 worth of coverage (Robert Wood, May 18, 2009). Theres a big difference in the cost to society and what society is getting back in tax, said Dr. Terry Pechacek, the associate director of the CDCs Office of Smoking and Health. We believe society is bearing a burden for the individual behavioral choices of the smokers. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the nations total cost of smoking at $3,391 a year for every smoker, or $157.7 billion (Curfman, Morrissey, Drazen, June 22, 2009). Poverty and tobacco are closely linked. Some studies have noticed that in some countries, the poorest households can spend up to 10 percent of their entire income on tobacco products. It is difficult to ascertain how this might have a direct impact on malnutrition, health care and longevity of life, as well as things like literacy rates. Tobacco has a wide reaching impact. Restrictions on advertising and other promotion Anti-tobacco campaigners support restrictions on advertising and promotion. It seems obvious that promotion and advertising increase the demand to use, or the industry would not spend the amounts they do. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, from 1998 to 2006, tobacco industry marketing has increased, nationwide, by more than 85 percent, with tobacco industry marketing in 2006 totaling at least $12.8 billion (or more than $35 million per day) (2010). The tobacco industry addresses these concerns with the rhetoric that advertising does not increase the market size, merely determining the market shares of individual firms. While this point is difficult to determine, a key finding from the national youth tobacco survey indicates that the three most heavily used brands of cigarettes by teens are the three most heavily advertised by the industry. Studies on the effect of these restrictions indicate that partial restrictions (i.e. location or type only) have little impact on demand. Restrictions on advertising and marketing do not change the amount the industry spends, only the location and types of activities. They simply shift to non-restricted types of marketing. This is why it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of marketing restrictions. When restrictions are imposed that affect multiple avenues, tobacco consumption goes down significantly. This supports the thought that marketing increases the market size, not just move customers from one brand to another. Health information and counter advertising Anti-tobacco campaigns use pro-health messages and counter-marketing campaigns have been show to have some effect in swaying people away from use. The premise is that the better educated users or potential users are, the better chance they will chose not to us the products. This is a difficult avenue to promote anti-tobacco messages, as it is extremely costly and directly competes with the marketing expenditures of the tobacco industry. There is no way to match, dollar for dollar. Success comes from the combination of efforts counter-marketing with the other restrictions. There is a synergistic effect. Smoking restrictions and bans on sales to youth Youth tobacco use is of utmost importance to the tobacco industry and the anti-tobacco movement organizations. From the 1950s to the present, different defendants, at different times and using different methods, have intentionally marketed to young people under the age of twenty-one in order to recruit replacement smokers to ensure the economic future of the tobacco industry (Campaign, 2010). Where someone can smoke has become a frontline issue. Restrictions of the location, such as restaurants, workplaces, and other public places, make it more difficult for the smoker to light up. This creates an incentive to quit and reduces the opportunity for others to start. These restrictions reduce the amount of tobacco people use, reduce the prevalence of smoking, and have a direct impact on the exposure of second-hand smoke to others. Other smoking cessation interventions Cessation programs have made an impact on tobacco prevalence too. Pharmacological product advancements, from nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to newer products such as Chantix à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ have helped the tobacco user assure success. These products are heavily marketed and many health care organizations provide them with little or no costs associated to the patient. Some argue the cost benefit of public subsidy of these products is a win-win based on health care costs saved. FDA Tobacco Legislation Through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. federal government was recently granted authority to oversee many tobacco products. Members of Congress and health organizations have worked toward this goal for many years. This new authority includes many of the items discussed above, i.e. manufacturing standards, marketing and sales practices. The legislation is a very comprehensive approach to changing tobacco use among Americans, now and for future generations. New standards for additives, flavors (other than menthol), restrictions on sales, distribution, and marketing apply. Detailed ingredients will have to be disclosed. The FDA will have the authority to require changes to products. This is the first major governmental step to protect the public from the harms of tobacco. The new law: Restricts Marketing and Sales of Tobacco Products to Children bans ads within 1000 feet of schools and playgrounds eliminates sweetened (candy flavored) cigarettes Requires Detailed Tobacco Product Disclosure Provides Access to Tobacco Manufacturers Research Strengthens Tobacco Product Warning Labels warning labels must cover 50 percent of the front and back of the pack. Allows FDA to Require Changes to Tobacco Products to Reduce Risk Where Technologically Feasible Regulates Health Claims For Scientific Accuracy And Public Health Impact Evaluates Reduced Risk Health Claims For New Products eliminates cigarettes from being labeled light or low tar Regulates Only Manufacturers, Not Farmers The Congressional Budget Offices (CBO) examination of the new law shows an expected reduction in the number of underage tobacco users of 11 percent by 2019. CBO also estimates will lead to a further decline in smoking by adults by about 2 percent after 10 years. The expected impact of the legislation on the use of tobacco products stems from a combination of regulatory and economic factors. (Congressional, 2009) Impact of FDA Regulation of Tobacco on Medicaid The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) anticipates that the new FDA tobacco rules will lead to a reduction in smoking among pregnant women. Pregnant women that do not smoke during pregnancy are less likely to have low birth weight children. Low birth weight kids cost more at birth and during childhood. As a result, state spending for Medicaid would decrease by an estimated $17 million over the 2010-2014 period, with additional savings in subsequent years (Yang Novotny, 2009). Medicaid expenditures are expected to be reduced by $100 million over 10 years. Other Medicare expenditures are positively affected by the FDA rules too. Heart attacks and stroke are less likely to occur in non-smokers, which will mean acute care services costs will decrease, but it is unclear as to by how much. Medicare costs may increase in some areas due to increased life spans and the payout associated with that. Conclusion A key aspect of tobacco prevention is that as people decide not to use tobacco products, their health will be generally better. If all Americans stopped smoking-beginning with this generation of teens-that would do more to improve the health of the nation that any other reform (Adhikari, et al. December 30, 2008, p. 1227). The economic calculations associated with tobacco use are very complicated. For every savings, there is an increase in costs in another area. Many productivity costs are subjective, while things like tax revenues are very definitive. Public and private costs have to be figured separately. However, there are situations where they overlap and care must be taken to count them in only one spot. For instance, someone that lives just below the poverty line and smokes may rely on public assistance for many things, like health care. That same person quits and their relative household revenue and productivity increases. They may not be as reliant on public assistance. The i ncrease in their revenue and productivity cannot be counted if the decrease in public assistance spending is also counted. It is certain that more regulation, like that in the new FDA program will indeed reduce tobacco use. It is certain that reduction in tobacco use equates to less money spent overall on health care compared to the smoker, but may increase health care costs long term due to extended life span. It is certain that overall productivity will increase as tobacco use decreases. The real questions occur when these issues are followed by the question of By how much?. It is almost like Newtons Law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The factor that must be considered is the value of life length and productivity. These values can sway the equation massively in one direction or the other. The latest estimates of total smoking-attributable health care costs approach $100 billion. Private insurance covers 50 percent of smoking-related medical costs for people aged 19-64 (American Academy, 2010). Education about the effects of smoking on health continues to escalate. As more is learned, the estimates increase as to the costs associated with tobacco use.

United States in the Years 1860-1870 Essay -- Essays Papers History Es

United States in the Years 1860-1870 The United States between the years 1860-1870 was in turmoil, but from a historical point of view, this decade is one of the most exciting times in U.S. history. In 1861 there were still fifteen slave states, seven states open to slavery by the Dred Scott Decision and only eighteen free states in the north (Ferrell Atlas). This was a time of growth and change in the U.S. For example in 1867 the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia for a scant $7,200,000 (Museum). The Civil War was by far the most notable event to take place. Abraham Lincoln won the election for the Presidency of the United States in 1860. The most famous battle of the war, the Battle of Gettysburg took place in 1863; the Union army was victorious. Five years later in 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, ending the Civil War. Shortly after, the Thirteenth Amendment was signed and slavery was abolished in the U.S. (Museum). Despite the end of the war and the abolishment of slavery, many southerners are still angry at the north and the country still feels d...

College Success Essay -- essays research papers

Skills That Are Important For College Success University Of Phoenix Gen 300 Skills For Professional Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. Years ago it was the norm for people to just go right into a full time job after high school, if they even finished high school; they did this to support their families. In today’s society a person has a difficult time getting a decent job without a college degree. During an adults working life, bachelor degree graduates will earn about $2.1 million and a high school graduate can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). This is quite a difference and it puts a college education in perspective. With college come the skills needed to be successful. Every student who enters into a college level program needs to bring some very useful skills with them. The first is the maturity to know that college isn’t high school and the discipline level needs to be higher. The classes on a college level are more demanding and require a whole laundry list of skills. To accompany maturity would be critical thinking skills. According to Keys to College Studying a Lifelong Learner chapter 4, â€Å"critical thinking is thinking that goes beyond the basic recall of information†. The college student needs to question why something is the way it is, this is the way we learn. A college student will get more out of a subject if they question it. Why does that reference need to be cited that way? How does that formula work and will it work if I use it in this manner? A high school student takes something a teacher tells them and for the most part doesn’t question it. A college student should apply his or her critical thinking skills and pull the concept apart. When we do this we learn so much more. Time management is a key skill for college students to master. A person who can manage their schedule and personal responsibilities effectively can make the most out of a college student’s most precious resource, time (Study Skills, USF 2005). Time management goes hand in hand with goal setting. In order to effectively manage your time you need to set short term and long term goals and then link those goals to your values (Keys to College Studying, Carter Bishop, and Kravits, 2002). After we set goals we need to prioritize them to make sure ... ...lement this process in my school work. Thinking through situations instead of rushing in to finish quickly is part of my plan. I need to be more methodical at how I approach my school work and I need to be more disciplined. Discipline is probably my biggest culprit when it comes to school work. I love to procrastinate and cut corners if I can; anything to get things done faster. What I need to do is become more disciplined with my time management and if I do that I will have better control of my time. Once I have better control of my time I can start making more time for the readings that I procrastinate on. I value the college education that I am getting and I try not to take for it for granted. With the rising cost of education in this country and the importance that employers are placing on education. I plan to continue honing the skills I have learned and I hope to learn new ones to make my education that much more enjoyable. The best way I can implement my plan is to become more disciplined with the way I do it. In the future I can only hope that my son sees the value in a good education and is disciplined enough to see it through to a degree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Abstract – Analysis

After Jobs' death (201 1), the video of his speech turned on the internet, gaining millions of views. On Twitter and Backbone, people quoted pieces of the speech, and one of the cost highly circulated quotes was his last line: â€Å"Stay hungry, stay foolish. â€Å". Steve Jobs' powerful speech consisted of three stories from his life. The first story, which he calls â€Å"connecting the dots†, touches upon his early life and how it all affected the inception and development of his company and career.The second story, about â€Å"love and loss†, reveals how he pursued what he loved, and the twists and turns in that pursuit, and his eventual success and attainment of happiness (American dream). The third story he speaks about relates his feelings of being at the end of the road, and how facing death every day inspired him to work and live as if it were his last day (Carper diem theme).This speech is more Interesting because It is full of rhetorical, philosophical messa ges and figures, there are the recurring themes of birth, death, rebirth, love, and determination. Indubitably, Jobs has struck a core with the American Dream: â€Å"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. † and â€Å"Don't settle. † , a few of his aphorisms for the young students are determined to Join the workforce, pursue their livelihoods, start their families, and achieve their â€Å"Dream†.While It may seem plausible and appealing to â€Å"stay hungry, stay foolish† for one person, It may seem unreasonable and Inauspicious to another. The reference about the â€Å"Instinct† that for Jobs prevails over the â€Å"reason† creates divergent opinions as also the history has shown through the thinking of some philosophers Like B. Pascal, S. Segregated, F. Nietzsche or rationalist philosophers Like D. Home or R. Descartes. Finally, there are many other Ideas and Items that come out of this discourse, where the path os always wins the audience.