Critical Legal Thinking Case Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Legal Thinking Case - Article Example This means that a corporation cannot be criminally liable for acts committed by a representative outside the scope of his employment. In law, the representative would be said to have on a frolic of their own. b) When the crime committed is crime that cannot be punished through fines. This is due to the principle that a company cannot be jailed or even punished by corporal punishment. The only punishment available will be a fine. The most common criminal penalty imposed against the corporation is a fine. For this purpose a corporation would be fined a certain amount of money depending on the capital nature of the crime so committed. A corporation would be fined if it commits certain acts which are punishable by fine or if the corporation tolerates the actions of its representatives. Consequently, punishment can be imposed to the perpetrator of the crime but shared amongst other innocent parties. This will be in form of a reduction of wages/salary available to all employees. It also results in reduction of profits hence dividends payable to the shareholders. The corporation can also be punished by way of a forced winding up.

Gramsci and Hegemony Essay Example for Free

Gramsci and Hegemony Essay Antonio Gramsci is an important figure in the history of Marxist theory. While Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels provided a rigorous analysis of capital at the social and economic levels – particularly showing how capital antagonises the working class and gives rise to crisis – Gramsci supplemented this with a sophisticated theory of the political realm and how it is organically/dialectically related to social and economic conditions. He provides us with a theory of how the proletariat must organise politically if it is to effectively respond to capital’s crises and failures, and bring about revolutionary change. Incidentally, this innovation has proven to be of interest not only to Marxists, but also to those involved in other forms of progressive politics, from the civil rights movement, to gender politics, to contemporary ecological struggles. The reason why his approach has proven so popular and generally adaptable is because Gramsci was himself a man of action and his fundamental concern was with progressive strategy. Thus while in this article I plan to give a give a general outline of Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and the reasons behind its formulation, it’s important that we build on this by thinking about how we can use these concepts strategically in our own struggles. What is hegemony? It would seem appropriate to begin this discussion by asking What is hegemony?’’ It turns out to be a difficult question to answer when we are talking about Gramsci, because, at least within The Prison Notebooks, he never gives a precise definition of the term. This is probably the main reason why there is so much inconsistency in the literature on hegemony – people tend to form their own definition, based on their own reading of Gramsci and other sources. The problem with this is that if people’s reading of Gramsci is partial then so too is their definition. For example, Martin Clark (1977, p. 2) has defined hegemony as how the ruling classes control the media and education’’. While this definition is probably more narrow than usual, it does reflect a common misreading of the concept, namely that hegemony is the way the ruling class controls the institutions that control or influence our thought. Most of the academic and activist literature on hegemony, however, takes a slightly broader view than this, acknowledging more institutions than these being involved in the exercise of hegemony – at least including also the military and the political system. The problem is that even when these institutions are taken into account, the focus tends to be exclusively on the ruling class, and methods of control. Hegemony is frequently used to describe the way the capitalist classes infiltrate people’s minds and exert their domination. What this definition misses is the fact that Gramsci not only used the term hegemony’’ to describe the activities of the ruling class, he also used it to describe the influence exerted by progressive forces. Keeping this in mind, we can see that hegemony should be defined not only as something the ruling class does, it is in fact the process by which social groups – be they progressive, regressive, reformist, etc. – come to gain the power to lead, how they expand their power and maintain it. To understand what Gramsci was trying to achieve through developing his theory of hegemony, it is useful to look at the historical context that he was responding to as well as the debates in the movement at the time. The term hegemony’’ had been in general use in socialist circles since the early 20th century. Its use suggests that if a group was described as hegemonic’’ then it occupied a leadership position within a particular political sphere (Boothman, 2008). Lenin’s use of the term gegemoniya (the Russian equivalent of hegemony, often translated as vanguard’’), however, seemed to imply a process more akin to what Gramsci would describe. During his attempts to catalyse the Russian Revolution Lenin (1902/1963) made the observation that when left to their own devices, workers tended to reach only a trade union consciousness, fighting for better conditions within the existing system. To bring about revolutionary change, he argued that the Bolsheviks needed to come to occupy a hegemonic position within the struggle against the tsarist regime. This meant not only empowering the various unions by bringing them together, but also involving all of society’s opposition strata’’ in the movement, drawing out the connections between all forms of political oppression and autocratic arbitrariness’’ (Lenin, 1963, pp. 86-87). In the post-revolutionary period, however, the implication changed. Lenin argued that it was crucial to the establishment of the hegemony of the proletariat’’ that (a) the urban proletariat retain an ongoing alliance with the rural peasants (who made up the majority of Russia’s population) in order to retain national leadership and (b) that the expertise of the former capitalists be utilised, by forcing them to effectively manage state industries. These dual processes of leadership via consent and the command of force in the development of hegemony would play a crucial role in Gramsci’s theory. Gramsci had been in Russia from 1922-23 while these debates were raging and it was after this time that we see hegemony begin to take a central role in his writings. Italy As much as he was influenced by what was going on in Russia, Gramsci was also influenced by his own political experiences. Gramsci had been heavily involved in the struggle against capitalism and fascism in Italy and for a while served as the leader of the Communist Party of Italy. In the period following the World War I, there had been a lot of optimism in Europe, and Italy in particular, that now that people had seen the atrocities that the ruling classes could unleash and the alternative that was developing in Russia, some kind of workers’ revolution in Europe was imminent. Gramsci certainly shared this optimism. Events that took place in the early 1920s seemed to confirm this. Tensions at all strata of society were high, there were mass agitations and people were forming factory councils and workers co-operatives. But despite the intensity of the mobilisations, it fizzled out remarkably quickly. Unions were co-opted, workers’ co-ops became marginal and uncompetitive. Common people were intimidated by elites or otherwise captivated by the allure of fascist rhetoric. Gramsci and others formed the Italian Communist Party to try to reinvigorate the movement, but it was evident that people were too disillusioned by the failures of the previous years to really become involved. Votes for the Communist Party were disappointingly low. When Gramsci was arrested in 1926 as a part of Mussolini’s emergency measures, he found himself in prison with a lot of time to reflect on what had happened and where things went wrong. How was it that the ruling class had been able to so effectively stifle the potential of the movement, and what would be required for the progressive forces to mobilise the masses in a way that would enable them to bring about a fundamental change in society? These questions would of course be central to Gramsci’s theory of hegemony. Stages As suggested above, in The Prison Notebooks Gramsci refers to hegemony to describe activities of both currently dominant groups as well as the progressive forces. For Gramsci, whatever the social group is, we can see that there are certain common stages of development that they must go through before they can become hegemonic. Drawing on Marx, the first requirement is economic: that the material forces be sufficiently developed that people are capableof solving the most pressing social problems. Gramsci then goes on to state that there are three levels of political development that a social group must pass through in order to develop the movement that will allow change to be initiated. The first of these stages is referred to as economic-corporate’’. The corporatist is what we might understand as the self-interested individual. People become affiliated at the economic-corporate stage as a function of this self-interest, recognising that they need the support of others to retain their own security. Trade unionism is probably the clearest example of this, at least in the case of people joining a union for fear of pay cuts, retrenchment etc. One can also speak of short-term co-operation between otherwise competing capitalists in these terms. The point to emphasise is that at this stage of a group’s historical development there is no real sense of solidarity between members. In the second stage, group members become aware that there is a wider field of interests and that there are others who share certain interests with them and will continue to share those interests into the foreseeable future. It is at this stage that a sense of solidarity develops, but this solidarity is still only on the basis of shared economic interests. There is no common worldview or anything of that nature. This kind of solidarity can lead to attempts to promote legal reform to improve the group’s position within the current system, but consciousness of how they, and others, might benefit through the creation of a new system is lacking. It is only by passing through the third stage that hegemony really becomes possible. In this stage, the social group members becomes aware that their interests need to be extended beyond what they can do within the context of their own particular class. What is required is that their interests are taken up by other subordinate groups as their own. This was what Lenin and the Bolsheviks were thinking in forming an alliance with the peasants – that it was only through making the Bolshevik revolution also a peasants’ revolution, which peasants could see as being their own, that the urban proletariat could maintain its leading position. Gramsci reckoned that in the historical context that he was working in, the passage of a social group from self-interested reformism to national hegemony could occur most effectively via the political party. In this complex formulation, the different ideologies of allied groups come together. There will inevitably be conflict between these ideologies, and through a process of debate and struggle, one ideology, or a unified combination thereof, will emerge representing the allied classes. This ideology can be said to be hegemonic, the group that it represents has acquired a hegemonic position over the subordinate groups. At this stage, the party has reached maturity, having a unity of both economic and political goals as well as a moral and intellectual unity – one might say a shared worldview. With this unity behind it, the party sets about transforming society in order to lay the conditions for the expansion of the hegemonic group. The state becomes the mechanism by which this is done: policies are enacted and enforced that allow the hegemonic group to more effectively achieve its goals and to create symmetry between its goals and those of other groups. Although these goals are formulated with the interests of a single group in mind, they need to be experienced by the populace as being in the interests of everybody. In order for this to be effective, the hegemonic group must have some form of engagement with the interests of the subordinate classes. The dominant interests cannot be simplistically imposed upon them. Progressive hegemony While Gramsci considers these pragmatic moves as being requirements for any group to come to power, he also has a very deep ethical concern for the way in which the process occurs. In this sense, we can detect in Gramsci’s work a qualitative difference between the operations of hegemony by regressive, authoritarian groups on the one hand, and progressive social groups on the other. At an ethical level, Gramsci was above all else an anti-dogmatist believing that truth could not be imposed from the top down, but only made real through concrete and sympathetic dialogue with people. Where a regressive hegemony involves imposing a set of non-negotiable values upon the people, chiefly through use of coercion and deceit, a progressive hegemony will develop by way of democratically acquired consent in society. To give some flesh to these differences, the remainder of this article will elaborate on the different ways in which Gramsci talks about hegemonies of currently and previously ruling classes and how these contrast with the progressive hegemony that he hoped to see in the future. It is evident that if we look through history, the capitalist class has retained its hegemony primarily through various forms of coercion, ranging from the direct deployment of the military through to more subtle forms, for example, using economic power to marginalise political opponents. It would, however, be a great mistake to think that capitalism does not also rely heavily upon building consent. Indeed, it could be argued that it is capitalism’s consent-building that we, from a strategic point of view, need to pay more attention to, as it is on this level that we compete with them. The nature and strength of this consent varies. There are ways in which capitalism succeeds in actively selling its vision to subordinate classes. This means not only selling the distorted vision of a society of liberty, freedom, innovation, etc., but also deploying the ideas of bourgeois economics to convince working people, for example, that although capitalist policy is in the ultimate interests of the capitalist class, they too gain some of the benefits via trickle-down effects. Capitalism can also win consent among those who perhaps don’t buy the idea that the system is in their interests, but who have been convinced that there is no alternative or that the alternatives would be worse – in other words, through the promotion of the belief that the system is a necessary evil. The 20th century saw capitalism massively expand this form of consensus, largely through the corporate control of the media and advertising. In the United States in particular, the promotion of the American dream’’, and all of the useless commodities required to attain it, served not only to massively boost consumption and thereby the economic interests of the capitalists, it also sold a way of life which only capitalism could deliver. This was of course aided throughout the Cold War with simultaneous attempts to smear any alternative to capitalism as slavery. The capitalist class, in opposing any policy attempts to close in on corporately owned media, used its hegemonic political power to create the conditions for the building of further consent, in turn expanding their interests. The hegemonic group will continually struggle in this fashion to reach greater levels of consent – in this case by locking people into rigid mindsets and overcoming any optimism. We can look at former Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s attempts to expand privately owned schools, and to change high school history syllabi to make them more favourable to bourgeois perspectives as a part of this ongoing hegemonic process. The ruling class will constantly try to expand its field of interests and win further consent in response to changes in context and challenges to legitimacy. `Syndicalism’ Certain forms of trade unionism can also be seen as examples of capitalist hegemony. What Gramsci calls syndicalism’’ the view that the conditions of the workers can be maximally uplifted via the increasing power of the trade unions reflects a social group (the workers) left in the economic-corporate stage of development due to the hegemonic influence of capitalists, specifically free trade advocates, in the realm of ideology. The free trade advocates argue that the state and civil society should be kept separate, that the state should keep out of the economic sphere, which functions autonomously – leave it to the invisible hand of the market’’ and so on. The syndicalists had adopted this assumption of an arbitrary separation of the social and economic realms on the one hand and the political realm on the other, and assume that they could bring about radical change without political representation. The concrete result of this is that they are left to negotiate for narrowly defined improvements in the economic sphere, with no policy changes that would allow these wins to take on a more permanent basis. Meanwhile, the free trade advocates are themselves actively involved in policy, despite their claims, setting up conditions that will be favourable to the capitalist class! When the interests of the capitalist class are directly threatened, however, the hegemonic forces will inevitably resort to coercion. There is no room to negotiate on this, within the current hegemonic order. On a simple level this can mean legislating to allow police to crack down on workers taking industrial action, who threaten profits in an immediate sense. But a far bigger threat to the capitalists is the development of a hegemonic alternative within civil society. The threat is that people will move from the economic-corporate phase, and recognise that their interests overlap with all of those whom capitalism marginalises and holds back, that they will come to recognise their power and demand radical change. This being the greatest threat to capital, the most effective way for it to use coercion is to break apart emerging progressive alliances between subordinate groups. When confronted with force and economic bullying, the people are less able to relate to the group. Concerns for survival mean that people have to defend their own interests as individuals. The movement of the progressive hegemony is slowed, as people are forced to behave in a corporatist manner. The ruling class can also try to violently break apart movements by stirring up ideological differences, appealing to religion, for example. Democracy and consensus Gramsci saw the development of a progressive hegemony involving a far greater degree of openness, democracy and consensus, rather than coercion. In so far as there is coercion, it should only exist to hold back those reactionary forces that would thwart society’s development. This would allow the masses the space in which to reach their potential. A large part of The Prison Notebooks is devoted to figuring out what would be required for this kind of hegemony to develop, and a lot of Gramscian thinkers since have devoted themselves to this puzzle. As a starting point, we can say that while the existing hegemony tries to keep all the disaffected and subordinate social groups divided, the emergent progressive hegemony must bring them together. Gramsci certainly recognised the challenge involved in this. In his own historical situation (and as is undoubtedly still the case in ours), there were considerable barriers between the marginalised groups in terms of experiences, language and worldview. What all of these groups had in common, however, was that none of them had adequate political representation within the current system. Gramsci calls these groups that lack political representation subaltern’’. The challenge of the hegemonic group is to provide a critique of the system such that subaltern groups are made aware of their commonality and then raised up’’ into the political life of the party. In order to facilitate this incorporation of others, Gramsci stressed the need for the hegemonic group to move beyond its economic-corporatist understanding of its own interests, sacrificing some of its immediate economic goals in the interest of deeper moral and intellectual unity. It would need to overcome its traditional prejudices and dogmas and take on a broader view if was to lead while maintaining trust and consensus (both necessary to overcome existing power). If these aligned forces are to have any historical significance, they need to be enduring and organically related to conditions on the ground, not merely a temporary convergence. To develop mass momentum they would need to demonstrate, both in people’s imagination and in action, that they were capable of coming to power and achieving the tasks they had set for themselves. These tasks must effectively be everyone’s tasks – they must come to represent every aspiration, and be the fulfilment of the failed movements of the previous generations. Such a demonstration of power and historical significance could not be achieved through a passive action, of which Gramsci provides the example of the general strike. If the movement simply represents the rejection of the existing system or non-participation in it, then it would quickly fragment into everyone’s unique ideas of what should replace the system precisely at the moment when unity is most called for. It must be an active embodiment of the collective will, crystallised in a constructive and concrete agenda for change. Clearly this is no small ask, and Gramsci is certainly not of the view that one can just implement these strategies as though reading from a manual. What is called for is for rigorous work on the ground laying the moral and intellectual terrain upon which these historical developments can occur. One develops the unity, self-awareness and maturity of the movement, making it a powerful and cohesive force, and then patiently, with careful attention to the contextual conditions, waits for the opportune moment for this force to be exerted. Moment of crisis This moment is the moment of crisis within the existing, dominant hegemony: the moment at which it becomes clear to the populace that the ruling class can no longer solve the most pressing issues of humanity. Provided that the progressive forces adequately assert the alternative at this moment and the ruling group is unable to rapidly rebuild consent, it becomes visible that the conditions under which the ruling group became hegemonic are now passing away and society can collectively say We don’t need you anymore.’’. Gramsci calls this process of historical purging catharsis’’ in which structure ceases to be an external force which crushes man, assimilates him to itself and makes him passive; and is transformed into a means of freedom, an instrument to create a new ethico-political form and a source of new initiatives.’’ (Gramsci, 1971, p. 367.) For Gramsci the need for this transition from the world as it is to the freedom to create the world anew should be the starting point for all Marxist strategy. So, what does Gramsci have to offer us? His insistence that the socialist political form should be one of openness, democracy and the building of consensus certainly provides us with greater vision and focus and really ought to inform the activities of all progressive political groups – if not for ethical reasons, then at least because in the present environment, without a willingness to genuinely work on building consensus with others, one’s chances of success are very much diminished. (We’re not the ruling class – we don’t have the means to coerce). More than this, however, Gramsci provides us with a way of thinking; he gives us the conceptual tools to dissect the political situation we find ourselves in, to view it in historical context and to understand where we can find the conditions for the further development of our power. †¢ [Trent Brown is a doctoral student at the University of Wollongong and a member of Friends of the Earth Illawarra.] Bibliography Boothman, D. (2008). Hegemony: Political and Linguistic Sources for Gramsci’s Concept of Hegemony’’. In R. Howson and K. Smith (Eds.), Hegemony: Studies in Consensus and Coercion. London: Routledge. Clark, M. (1977). Antonio Gramsci and the Revolution that Failed. New Haven: Yale University Press. Gramsci, A. (1926). Some aspects of the southern question’’ (V. Cox, Trans.). In R. Bellamby (Ed.), Pre-Prison Writings (pp. 313-337). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the Prison Notebooks of Antonio Gramsci, Q. Hoare G. N. Smith, eds. trans. London: Lawrence and Wishart. Howson, R. (2006). Challenging Hegemonic Masculinity. London: Routledge. Howson, R. Smith, K. (2008). Hegemony: Studies in Consensus and Coercion. London: Routledge. Lenin, V. I. (1963). What is to be Done? S.V. Utechin P. Utechin, trans. Oxford: Oxford University Press. From: http://links.org.au/node/1260

Investigation of Tetracycline Antibacterial Activities

Investigation of Tetracycline Antibacterial Activities NOR FAEZAH BINTI ROSMIDI   Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative bacteria, which discovered and named after Theodor Escherichia and belong to Enterobacteriaceae family. E. coli is classified as same group as other bacterial such as Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia burgdoferi, Chlamydia trachomatis, Helicobacter pylori and many more species that are well known in medical world. E. coli infection can be found all over the world and more common in tropical country. This infection especially can be transmitted through diet because the infections are mainly due to contaminated food. Thus, this infection can be called as food-borned disease. An individual can get infected when consumed foods that are contaminated with dirt. However, not every individual that consumed contaminated food can get the infection. This is because, there are certain criteria to be fulfilled. Firstly, there must be source of infection, which means, E. coli must present in the food. Then, the individual is eating food contaminated with pathogen, as the main route of infection is through orofecal. Lastly, the bodys immune system cannot get rid of the pathogen, which eventually causing disease. This study is conducted to isolate, characterize and evaluate antimicrobial activities of E. coli in media and milk. A total of 3 sample is collected from the stock culture and labelled as EY1, E27 and E31. Isolation is made on the eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar and identified by using gram staining under microscope. To check for the antimicrobial activities, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time kill assay are done. Results reveals that the MIC value for E. coli is 128 and MBC value is 1024. Time-kill assay curve disclose that the reaction of tetracycline to the bacteria in media and milk slightly different but yet, able to achieve bactericidal effect of the drug. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary gland, is predominantly due to the effects of infection by bacterial pathogens, although mycotic or algal microbes play a role in some cases (Ronald J. Erskine, 2016b). There are many factors that influence the development of mastitis including microbial, host and environmental (Contreras Rodrà ­guez, 2011). Any opportunistic microbes that can invade tissue and causing infection can lead to mastitis. The pathogen that use this transmission mode are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Corynebacterium bovis. They may spread from cattle to another cattle through aerosol transmission and invade the udder causing bacteremia. There is other route of infection, which is through the environment of the cattle. The pathogens that associated with environmental reservoirs are Escherichia coli and Trueperella pyogenes (Ronald J. Erskine, 2016a)       Post-milking teat dipping, dry cow therapy, well-maintained milking equipment, and culling of cows with chronic mastitis have successfully controlled contagious mastitis bacteria such as Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus (Makovec Ruegg, 2003). Milk samples collected from cows on Wisconsin dairy farms clearly demonstrated that environmental bacteria are the most common causes of clinical mastitis. (Pamela L. Ruegg, 2015) Once inside the udder, E. coli multiply rapidly, causing influx of the inflammatory cells. As neutrophils ingest and kill bacteria, endotoxin is released and along with other inflammatory mediators causes severe local inflammation. This inflammatory response is characterized by increased vascular permeability, changes in milk composition and damage to the mammary epithelial cells, which may result in the characteristic watery or serous milk secretion. The treatment for mastitis include administration of antimicrobial via the intramammary route or parentally (Gruet, Maincent, Berthelot, Kaltsatos, 2001). Unfortunately, despite the best possible antimicrobial treatments, failures of bacteriological cure are common, especially for S. aureus mastitis, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the reasons for low cure rates (Candrasekaran et al., 2014). There are other reasons, which are the management and iatrogenic factors, drug factors, mastitis-causing organism factors and also mammary gland factor. However, the major reason is the insufficient contact of the antimicrobial with the mastitis-causing organisms at the site of infection is a major cause of mastitis treatment failure (Kiro R. Petrovski, 2007). Some bacteria such as S. aureus can localize inside host cells thus restrict the concentration of drug in the cells. E. coli can form biofilms, a condition where the microorganisms structured within an array of exopolysaccharides (EPS) and adhering to a living or inert surface with the function of protecting the microorganisms in stress environments (Costa, Espeschit, Pieri, Benjamin, Moreira, 2014). The sessile cells arranged in biofilms tend to be more resistant to antimicrobial therapy compared with plantonic free cells, due to the slow diffusion of the antimicrobial in the inner layers of the biofilm (Costa et al., 2014). Also, to be effective, drugs need to be free and not inhibited by other components. Some drug may have high affinity binding towards protein. Thus, some component in the milk, for example, casein, may bind to the antibiotic and reduce the free the drugs in the udder. In the case of S. aureus infections during lactation, it has been estimated that the bacteriological cure rate is only within 25% to 50% only (Kiro R. Petrovski, 2015). 1.2 Problem Statement Escherichia coli is one of the major cause of mastitis development. Based on the research done in Wisconsin dairy farm, 21% of the mastitis case result from the E. coli infection. Despite of all the treatment given, the therapy has not been successful. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the antibacterial activities of Tetracycline against E. coli from clinical mastitis in growth media and milk. 1.3 Research Questions This study is designed to answer either tetracycline can demonstrate equivalent antimicrobial efficacy against E.coli in growth medium and in milk? 1.4 Research Hypotheses This study is constructed to answer the hypothesis, either tetracycline demonstrates equivalent antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli in growth medium and milk. 1.5 Research Objectives This study is conducted to achieve a set of following objectives :- To determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of Enrofloxacin and against the pathogenic E. coli To determine minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of Enrofloxacin and against the pathogenic E. coli To perform time kill assay of Enrofloxacin against E. coli 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of mastitis Mastitis is swelling of the mammary gland that frequently caused by bacteria ingoing the teat canal and moving up to the udder and there are two types of mastitis, which are contagious mastitis and also environmental mastitis (Dairy Australia, 2007). Contagious or cow-associated mastitis generally related to the bacterial infection that causing disease, which are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae (Dairy Australia, 2007). The bacteria present in the udders or on teat skin and spread either by splashes of disease-ridden milk or sprays during stripping on milkers hands or teatcup liners and by cross flow of milk between teatcups (Dairy Australia, 2007). Meanwhile environmental mastitis occur when the bedding which used to house the cattle is contaminated (Ronald J. Erskine, 2016a). It is not only concern on the bedding of the cattle, the infected soil, manure, calving pads and water host bacteria can also causing this disease to developed (Dairy Australia, 2007). Mastitis come in two forms, which are subclinical and clinical, however, subclinical form is rare to be find (Ronald J. Erskine, 2016a). 2.1  Escherichia coli Escherichia coli is no longer bizarre in our communities. This Enterobacteriaceae is a Gram-negative bacteria. It cannot sporulate and can be found commonly in the intestine. This bacteria have a characteristic of glucose fermenting, acid producing, nitrate reducing and oxidase negative. It also have facultative anaerobic characteristic which can grow easily at 37 °C. Physically, E. coli is small in size, approximately 1-2  µ x 30-30  µ, with flagella. It has no capsule and also no mucus layer. There are several antigen structures that play an important role for the identification of this bacteria, which are K antigen, H antigens and O antigen. K antigen can be found in the capsules, a compound in the group of polysaccharide. H antigen can be found in flagella and O antigen can be found in the cells or the body as it is a substance in the group of lipopolysaccharide and polysaccharide (Wiwanitkit, 2011). Despite the fact that most of E. coli are harmless and beneficial, there are species that have the ability to cause disease, and they are divided into groups according to the mechanism of pathogenesis. The groups are enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC). EHEC is a group that can cause haemorrhagic colitis and can end up with a specific complication called uremia haemolytic syndrome. EIEC or also known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) causes diarrhea. ETEC is a major cause of travelers diarrhea and diarrhea in group of infants in developing countries. E. coli toxic products from the gut causes problems to the patients body. EPEC is a major cause of diarrhea in infants and EAEC is a new pathogen (Wiwanitkit, 2011). 2.2 Mastitis Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland and udder tissue, and is a major endemic disease of dairy cattle. It commonly occurs as an immune response to bacterial invasion of the teat canal by variety of bacterial sources present on the farm, and can also occur as a result of chemical, mechanical or thermal injury to the cows udder (AHDB Dairy, 2017). 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 3.1 Samples collection This study is conducted in laboratory of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in University Malaysia Kelantan. The bacteria sample, which is Escherichia coli is isolated from the stock samples of the laboratory. There are three samples, which are EY1, E27 and E31. 3.2 Samples preparation The samples are cultured on the nutrient agar for 18 to 24 hours at 37 °C. 3.3 Isolation and identification of Escherichia coli The bacterial colony on the nutrient agar is then cultured on the eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar and gram staining is done. 3.4 Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) are determined using the broth micro dilution method. A range concentrations of antimicrobial is prepared in a 96 well microplate, followed by inoculation of bacteria culture to yield approximately 5105 cfu/ml in a 250ÃŽÂ ¼ final volume. The plate is then incubated in 37 °C for 18 hours. The lowest concentration of antimicrobial that inhibit bacterial growth is taken as MIC value. 3.5 Minimum Bactericidal Concentration The dilution representing the MIC are aliquot volume of the broth and spot onto Nutrient agar. The agar is then incubated 18 hours with 37 °C. No growth indicate that antibiotic is bactericidal at that concentration. If there is present growth indicative that antibiotic work as antibiotic only particularly on the dilution. 3.6 Time Kill Assay Tube containing designated concentration of antimicrobial will be inoculated with 105 cfu/ml of bacteria in Nutrient agar, followed by incubation at 37 °C, in an incubator shaker at 200 rpm. At 0, 1, 4, 24 hour post inoculation, 50 µ aliquots will be taken out, serially diluted in saline and plated on Nutrient agar. Plates will be incubated for 18 hours at 37 °C followed by colony counting. An antimicrobial is considered bactericidal if there is †°Ã‚ ¥3-log decrease in cfu/ml of bacteria counts, as compared to the growth control.      Ã‚   4.0 RESULTS 4.1 Isolation and identification of Escherichia coli Colony of E. coli on EMB agar is small to medium circle in size and shape, with dark green and glossy, raised and polish appearance. 4.4 Time Kill Assay SAMPLE EY1 (x103) T0 T1 T4 T24 MEDIA CONTROL 110 120 135 150 1X MIC 42 11 21 110 2X MIC 26 42 26 0 5X MIC 20 12 11 0 15X MIC 13 13 1 0 MILK CONTROL 123 135 141 156 1X MIC 46 35 173 110 2X MIC 46 26 11 100 5X MIC 32 14 8 0 15X MIC 37 13 4 0 Table 1 : Time kill Assay Results for Sample EY1 in x103 SAMPLE EY1 (x106) T0 T1 T4 T24 MEDIA CONTROL 5.5 6.0 6.75 7.5 1X MIC 2.1 0.55 1.05 5.5 2X MIC 1.3 2.1 1.3 0 5X MIC 1.0 0.6 0.55 0 15X MIC 0.65 0.65 0.05 0 MILK CONTROL 6.15 6.75 7.05 7.8 1X MIC 2.3 1.75 8.65 5.5 2X MIC 2.3 1.3 0.55 5.0 5X MIC 1.6 0.7 0.4 0 15X MIC 1.85 0.65 0.2 0 Table 2 : Time kill Assay Results for Sample EY1 in x106 Figure 3 : Time-kill curve for E. coli (EY1) against Tetracycline on media and milk SAMPLE E27 (x103) T0 T1 T4 T24 MEDIA CONTROL 113 126 141 154 1X MIC 64 29 49 111 2X MIC 58 35 18 10 5X MIC 42 22 2 0 15X MIC 30 11 1 0 MILK CONTROL 127 139 145 161 1X MIC 48 36 180 100 2X MIC 58 52 30 111 5X MIC 41 22 18 5 15X MIC 47 22 20 5 Table 3 : Time kill Assay Results for Sample E27 in x103 SAMPLE E27 (x106) T0 T1 T4 T24 MEDIA CONTROL 5.65 6.3 7.05 7.7 1X MIC 3.2 1.45 2.45 5.55 2X MIC 2.9 1.75 0.9 0.5 5X MIC 2.1 1.1 0.1 0 15X MIC 1.5 0.55 0.05 0 MILK CONTROL 6.35 6.95 7.25 8.05 1X MIC 2.4 1.8 9.0 5.0 2X MIC 2.9 2.6 1.5 5.55 5X MIC 2.05 1.1 0.9 0.25 15X MIC 2.35 1.1 1.0 0.25 Table 4 : Time kill Assay Results for Sample E27 in x106 Figure 4 : Time-kill curve for E. coli (E27) against Tetracycline on media and milk SAMPLE E31 (x103) T0 T1 T4 T24 MEDIA CONTROL 115 121 137 145 1X MIC 59 41 39 114 2X MIC 57 37 27 43 5X MIC 55 39 23 0 15X MIC 24 33 7 0 MILK CONTROL 121 140 149 165 1X MIC 56 40 180 108 2X MIC 71 50 45 116 5X MIC 51 26 12 102 15X MIC 58 25 13 0 Table 5 : Time kill Assay Results for Sample E31 in x103   SAMPLE E31 (x106) T0 T1 T4 T24 MEDIA CONTROL 5.75 6.05 6.85 7.25 1X MIC 2.95 2.05 1.95 5.7 2X MIC 2.85 1.85 1.35 2.15 5X MIC 2.75 1.95 1.15 0 15X MIC 1.2 1.65 0.35 0 MILK CONTROL 6.05 7.0 7.45 8.25 1X MIC 2.8 2.0 9.0 5.4 2X MIC 3.55 2.5 2.25 5.8 5X MIC 2.55 1.3 0.6 5.1 15X MIC 2.9 1.25 0.65 0 Table 6 : Time kill Assay Results for Sample E31 in x106       Figure 5 : Time-kill curve for E. coli (E31) against Tetracycline on media and milk

U.S. Constitution :: essays research papers

The document I chose to write about is the United States Constitution. When the thirteen British colonies in North America declared their independence in 1776, they laid down that â€Å"governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.† The â€Å"colonies† had to establish a government, which would be the framework for the United States. The purpose of a written constitution is to define and therefore more specifically limit government powers. After the Articles of Confederation failed to work in the 13 colonies, the U.S. Constitution was created in 1787. The Constitution is important because it was expressly designed to limit powers into three co-ordinate branches, the legislative, executive, and judiciary branch; none of which was to have supremacy over the others. This separation of powers with the checks and balances which each branch was given over the others was designed to prevent any branch, from infringing individual liberties safeguarded by the Constitution. I think the U.S. Constitution was a way for the U.S. to establish government which was a negotiation between the two former governments, a monarchy and total state power. I think by creating the checks and balances, people’s rights would be safer and they would feel more secure not having one branch of government with absolute power. What I found most interesting about the Constitution was how complex and detailed the framers made it, to effectively explain and limit the individual branches of power in government. In the words of Thomas Paine, "a governm ent without a constitution is power without right". Meaning that for power to be granted, it is necessary to establish a constitution. The Federalist Papers 10 & 51 were essays which helped persuade the citizens of the United States to vote for the federal Constitution. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay used pseudonyms as their names to convince the public. Those who were skeptical of voting for a government, which had many different major powers, were reassured by the founding fathers in their speeches and conventions throughout the U.S. The importance of Constitution, both in its content and its status, is little appreciated by the general public.

Management Yesterday and Today Essay

When identifying unit process inputs and outputs, try to talk with employees working with those processes. However, while these employees will give good information, some inputs and waste outputs may be overlooked because they are too familiar with the process. Talk to other employees and, perhaps more importantly, walk around the business premises and take a good look. For every input, there must be a corresponding output. Make sure that there is an output for each input to a unit process. If there is a weight change in a raw material or product, account for the difference and make sure it is included in the input/output diagram. Remember all wash water, atmospheric emissions, dust and any pollution. Balancing inputs and outputs is a useful method of tracking down waste outputs that may otherwise be overlooked. On the other hand, system in supermarkets depend on employees, suppliers, customers and even the competition for research, development and profit. Because the business doesn’t have control af all the environmental forces, it relies on predictions and contingencies to cope with unempected input. During the 1960s, researchers began to analyse organisations from a systems perspective, a concept taken from the physical sciences. A system is a set of interrelated and interdependent parts arranged in a manner that produces a unified whole. The two basic types of systems are closed and open. Closed systems are not influenced by, and do not interact with, their environment. In contrast, open systems dynamically interact with their environment. Today, when we describe organisations as systems, we mean open systems. An organization takes in inputs (resources) from the environment and transforms or processes these resources into outputs that are distributed into the environment. The orga nisation is ‘open’ to, and interacts with, that environment (Robbins, Stagg, Bergman & Coulter, 2008, p. 52). System researchers envisioned an organisation as being made up of ‘interdependent factors, including individuals, groups, attitudes, motives, formal structure, interactions, goals, status, and authority’. What this means is  that managers coordinate the work activities of the various parts of the organisation and ensure that all the interdependent parts of the organisation are working together so that the organisation’s goals can be achieved. For example, the systems approach would recognise that, no matter how efficient the production department might be, if the marketing department does not anticipate changes in customer tastes and work with the product development department in creating products customers wants, the organisation’s overall performance will suffer (Robbins, Stagg, Bergman & Coulter, 2008, p. 52). In addition, the systems approach implies that decisions and actions taken in one organisational area will affect others, and vice versa. For example, if the purchasing department does not acquire the right quantity and quality of inputs, the production department will not be able to do its job effectively (Robbins, Stagg, Bergman & Coulter, 2008, p. 53). Finally, the systems approach recognises that organisations are not self-contained. They rely on their environments for essential inputs and as sources to absorb their outputs (Robbins, Stagg, Bergman & Coulter, 2008, p. 53).

A Bakery Business Of Your Own

Making a Bakery Business Plan Coming up with a bakery business plan is one of the first things to do if you intent to start a bakery business of your own. Bakery business can prove to be one of the most rewarding businesses at start because of the personal involvement as well as the good profits that can start pouring in as soon as you begin. Bakery business is one where you can remain involved in every aspect from baking to selling and buying ingredients. A business plan is the only thing that can make a bakery business run in a convenient and controlled manner. You will need an effective and well written bakery business plan to help you succeed. It can help to control the overwhelming bakery day to day business and run things in a much organized and expected way. How to Make a Bakery Business Plan Making a bakery business plan is essential before actually starting the business. It is the way of carrying out business and should include a plan of operation for every aspect of your bakery business. Here we have broken up the idea of a business plan for your convenience that will help you in making and putting together a sound bakery business plan. The First Part The first part of your business plan should focus on how you will run the day to day operations of your bakery business and make everything go smoothly. The Second Part The second part of the business plan should include all the equipment you will need to operate the bakery business. From pans to pots, spoons to ovens and everything else, it should be very clearly mentioned. This part should also include the day to day operations and the maintenance that will be needed by the equipment after every few months. This part should also include the preventive maintenance on this equipment as well as it will prepare you for any eventually too that might occur with the machines. The Third Part The third part of bakery business plan should include your menu of foods and drinks that you will be serving to the customers. This is the most important part of business plan as it can prove to be the ultimate drawing point to your bakery. The Fourth Part The fourth part of your bakery business plan will be about the way you will deliver bakery products to the customers. Presentation and serving play a very crucial role in promoting any business especially eatables. The Fifth Part The fifth part of bakery business plan is very crucial as it discusses the finances needed to start a Bakery Business. You should know if you are going to finance the plan yourself and have enough capital to put the business ogether or will you borrow the money from family, friends or a bank; will you use credit cards or seek partnership to finance the business. All these questions need serious thinking before taking any step towards establishing a bakery business. The Sixth Part The sixth part of a business plan figures out where your bakery will be located. Are you going to rent or lease a shop or will you buy a separate place? All these questions are important as a good location can help to make a business successful and draw customers mor e easily rather than being located at a place where no one can come. Before you actually put the wheels in motion to start a bakery business, it is important to take time and figure out if this is the business for you that can help to shape your future. Starting a bakery business can be hard job and it can only be made successful with a sound and foolproof business plan and attention to detail. Making a business plan with help you really understand if this is the kind of business you want to start and if you can carry off this venture successfully. It will also help you to stay ahead on the business set up and establish a thriving bakery

Hadrosaurus, the First Identified Duck-Billed Dinosaur

Hadrosaurus, the First Identified Duck-Billed Dinosaur Like many fossil discoveries from the 1800s, Hadrosaurus is simultaneously a very important and a very obscure dinosaur. It was the first near-complete dinosaur fossil  ever to be discovered in North America (in 1858, in Haddonfield, New Jersey, of all places), and in 1868, the Hadrosaurus at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences was the first dinosaur skeleton ever to be displayed to the general public. Hadrosaurus has also given its name to an extremely populous family of herbivores- the hadrosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs. Celebrating this history, New Jersey named Hadrosaurus its official state dinosaur in 1991, and the sturdy lizard is frequently invoked in attempts to pump up the Garden States paleontology pride. What  Was Hadrosaurus Really Like? This was a robustly built dinosaur, measuring about 30 feet from head to tail and weighing anywhere from three to four tons, and it probably spent most of its time crouched on all fours, chomping on the low-lying vegetation of its late Cretaceous habitat in North America. Like other duck-billed dinosaurs, Hadrosaurus would have been capable of rearing up on its two hind legs and running away when startled by hungry tyrannosaurs, which must have been a stressful experience for any smaller dinosaurs lurking nearby!  This dinosaur almost certainly lived in small herds, females laying 15 to 20 large eggs at a time in circular patterns, and the adults may even have engaged in a minimal level of parental care.  (However, bear in mind that the bill of Hadrosaurus and other dinosaurs like it wasnt really flat and yellow, like that of a duck, but it did have a vague resemblance.) Still, as far as duck-billed dinosaurs in general are concerned, Hadrosaurus itself occupies the far fringes of paleontology. To date, no one has discovered this dinosaurs skull; the original  fossil, named by the famous American paleontologist Joseph Leidy, consists of four limbs, a pelvis, bits of the jaw, and over two dozen vertebrae. For this reason, recreations of Hadrosaurus are based on the skulls of similar genera of duck-billed dinosaurs, such as Gryposaurus. To date, Hadrosaurus appears to be the only member of its genus (the sole named species is H. foulkii), leading some paleontologists to speculate that this hadrosaur may really be a species (or specimen) of another genus of duck-billed dinosaur.   Given all this uncertainty, it has proven rather difficult to assign Hadrosaurus to its proper place on the hadrosaur family tree. This dinosaur was once honored with its own sub-family, the Hadrosaurinae, to which better-known (and more highly ornamented) duck-billed dinosaurs like Lambeosaurus were once assigned. Today, though, Hadrosaurus occupies a single, lonely branch on evolutionary diagrams, one step removed from such familiar genera as Maiasaura, Edmontosaurus and Shantungosaurus, and today not many paleontologists reference this dinosaur in their publications. Name: Hadrosaurus (Greek for sturdy lizard); pronounced HAY-dro-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (80-75 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 30 feet long and 3-4 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; broad, flat beak; occasional bipedal posture

Free Essays on Jacobite Rebellion Of 1745

I. Prince Charles Edward Stuart Prince Charles Edward Stuart was born to his parents, James â€Å"III† of England and Clementina Sobieska of Poland, on December 31, 1720 in Rome, Italy. As Charles was the grandson of James II, former King of England, letters of congratulations and support immediately poured in from those who celebrated the continuation of the catholic claim to the English throne. â€Å"Bonnie Prince Charlie† was immediately baptized as a member of the Catholic faith in the presence of the Pope himself, and word spread throughout Europe of the newborn. Publicly, Charles was claimed to be a healthy, strong, well-built child who quickly mastered English, French, and Italian. Stuart supporters took great pride in this reported potential, but the stories were far from the truth. In reality, Charles was an extremely weak child who did not walk until the age of four. Even at this point Charles required assistance, which came mostly from his nurse Mrs. Sheldon, whom had been hired by James and Clementina to raise the boy. Intellectually, Charles may have been even less impressive. Although it was claimed that Charles mastered multiple languages in childhood, he never in his life quite grasped English; he was more than twenty when he began to study French, and he never learned Italian. In letters written in his adult years, Charles would exhibit horrid spelling capabilities by writing â€Å"God nose† in place of â€Å"God knows† or â€Å"gems† for â€Å"James†. His educational destitution has been attribu ted to the focus placed on physical development in his early years, but Charles never displayed an interest in mental stimulation. James recruited countless renowned educational trainers from around the world; all of them failed to inspire or instigate Charles and his less-than-gifted mind. For three years, beginning when Charles was less than five years old, the young prince’s life was plagued with familial scandal an... Free Essays on Jacobite Rebellion Of 1745 Free Essays on Jacobite Rebellion Of 1745 I. Prince Charles Edward Stuart Prince Charles Edward Stuart was born to his parents, James â€Å"III† of England and Clementina Sobieska of Poland, on December 31, 1720 in Rome, Italy. As Charles was the grandson of James II, former King of England, letters of congratulations and support immediately poured in from those who celebrated the continuation of the catholic claim to the English throne. â€Å"Bonnie Prince Charlie† was immediately baptized as a member of the Catholic faith in the presence of the Pope himself, and word spread throughout Europe of the newborn. Publicly, Charles was claimed to be a healthy, strong, well-built child who quickly mastered English, French, and Italian. Stuart supporters took great pride in this reported potential, but the stories were far from the truth. In reality, Charles was an extremely weak child who did not walk until the age of four. Even at this point Charles required assistance, which came mostly from his nurse Mrs. Sheldon, whom had been hired by James and Clementina to raise the boy. Intellectually, Charles may have been even less impressive. Although it was claimed that Charles mastered multiple languages in childhood, he never in his life quite grasped English; he was more than twenty when he began to study French, and he never learned Italian. In letters written in his adult years, Charles would exhibit horrid spelling capabilities by writing â€Å"God nose† in place of â€Å"God knows† or â€Å"gems† for â€Å"James†. His educational destitution has been attribu ted to the focus placed on physical development in his early years, but Charles never displayed an interest in mental stimulation. James recruited countless renowned educational trainers from around the world; all of them failed to inspire or instigate Charles and his less-than-gifted mind. For three years, beginning when Charles was less than five years old, the young prince’s life was plagued with familial scandal an...

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT REPORT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT REPORT - Research Paper Example ological processes and effective mechanisms that support high quality performance by all institutional staff during delivery of overall health services (Mclaughlin & Kaluzny, 2004). The encompassing definition shows the import of attaining provisions in quality health and services through competent CQI, although several aspects may account for its difficulty to thrive in hospital organizations. Quality improvement in clinical setting possesses complex nature. A valid study indicates its success lies on the elements surrounding such concept (see Figure 1 in Appendix A). In the illustration, a variety of influences affect the execution of quality improvement in clinical settings: â€Å"culture, implementation approach, perceived impact...clinical conditions, and bed size† (Shortell et al., 1995, p. 380). Each factor can alter the degree of health service delivery, giving them the critical role, and the necessary dynamics that can be assessed for significant evaluation of existing resistance. Despite the basic proponents in quality improvement, different perspectives emerge, depending on how improvement tool should be carried out for relevant participants. Kovner, Knickman, and Jonas (2008) identified four primary stakeholders directly involved in CQI: â€Å"providers, patients, payers, and policymakers† (p. 415). The health care team plays provider role, where they focus technical aspect of care, including application of medical knowledge and skills, and ethical standards in clinical service. They cater to patients, another stakeholder, who view quality care on the psychological side. For patients, quality improvement depends on expressed level of sincere attention and respectful care from health providers. Actual payers of treatments aspire to have technical and touch aspect of health services. Practical efficiency and emotional efficacy of clinical interventions must collaborate to bring excellent services that health team are supposed to provide. Lastly, polic y

Japanese Internment Camps Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Japanese Internment Camps - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that the subject of the Japanese internment camps has been a topic of hot debates over the decades. In most cases, several opinions abound on the very essence of those camps and on whether or not they addressed the situation for which they were intended. Critically, that continues to be the subject of argument. In any case, the perspective of the arguer is very critical in the analysis of the whole concept. The core of the argument also lies on whether the camps were necessary as a military action and or whether it was a nationality issue gone sour. To begin, it is imperative to realize that prior to the Pearl Harbor, most Americans of Japanese decent were actually residing peacefully in the United States and there was no issue in connection to American security despite the war that was picking up in the world. This paper makes a conclusion that the trigger of the whole imbroglio was the attack on the Harbor which certainly left many Americans confused and bitter. The justification of their radical change of mind with regard to their Japanese counterparts arose out of the paranoia situation that certainly engulfed the country. In any case, this was a very critical time and Americans were just being democratic by addressing their right of security. History is awash with several instances where spies have caused more trouble than was expected. In the American case, there idea to confine the Japanese was therefore a timely decision considering the world events at that time. In the period of the WWII it was clear that the Axis powers were basically fighting to capture the whole world under their control while the Allied powers were rooting for global peace. With such an evil mindset on the Japanese leaders, there was a need to carefully address the Japanese situation in the United States. Moreo ver, the general trend at that time was the possibility of a long period of war which could involve the United States. The role of the military is basically to safeguard the country’s borders in whatever respect as may deem necessary. Therefore the decision to create the internment camps should always be addressed from the perspective of United State’s security which was certainly at risk in that period. It is known that in critical situations very radical decisions are normally the order of the day. Inasmuch as counter opinions arise against the internment of the Japanese, it is important to come to terms with the realities of that time. Any

Kennedy v. Louisiana Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kennedy v. Louisiana - Case Study Example uries were the most severe he had seen from a sexual assault in his four years of practice.† (Supreme Court of the United States, Patrick Kennedy, Petitioner v. Louisiana, 2008) The brutality of the way in which the crime was committed forced the US supreme court to declare maximum punishment for the accused. Kennedy denied the charges and he accused that the two neighboring boys were the actual culprits. The main issue in this case is about the validity of death sentence given to the accused. The Courts ruling failed to consider the federal law in the military justice system regarding the death penalty. â€Å"The Eighth Amendment bars Louisiana from imposing the death penalty for the rape of a child where the crime did not result, and was not intended to result, in the victims death† (KENNEDY v. LOUISIANA, 2008) .The Court’s Division bench who heard this case was not unanimous about their judgment. Only 5 out of the 9 judges written in favor of the death sentenced while 4 of them strongly opposed the death sentence. Most of the people in various states have opposed the capital punishment. The court cannot act based on the consensus among the public. The court needs to look into the constitution and the law for delivering their verdicts. If the capital punishment is against the public will, then it is the duty of the government to change the constitutional law regarding capital punishment. The law regarding the death sentence is included in the â€Å"Eighth Amendment — Death Penalty — Punishment for Child Rape†. (Harvard Law Review, p.296) Even this law allow death sentence to a criminal only if the victim was killed. So in unusual circumstances only the death sentence is imposed. These unusual circumstances may be perceived differently by different people. years, lack of knowledge of the victims age shall not be a defence.† (KENNEDY v. LOUISIANA, 2008) In a rape case nobody can argue that they were not aware of the victim’s age. Since the rape itself

Effect of Bcl-2 on Lung Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effect of Bcl-2 on Lung Cancer - Essay Example To be able to obtain an accurate and strongly reliable research finding and study conclusion, the research method should always be aligned with the research hypothesis at all times. Back then, it was hypothesized in the study of Xu et al. (2013) that there can be a strong connection between Bcl-2 with a person’s susceptibility to lung cancer and its prognosis among the Chinese men. Specifically, the research hypothesis of Xu et al. (2013) is very much in-line with its chosen research method. It means that the authors’ decision to make use of its research method is good enough to determine whether or not the research hypothesis presented in the said study should be accepted or not. For example, in the process of selecting and genotyping a total of 3 Bcl-2’s tagSNP (i.e. rs1564483, rs 1801018, and rs 2279115) in 1017 couple of Chinese male with lung cancer using the TaqMan assay, the authors were able to find out that the genotypes of rs1564483GA, AA, as well as GA+AA, were strongly related to the decrease in Chinese men’s susceptibility to lung cancer whereas the allele of rs1564483A increases Chinese men’s susceptibility of developing lung cancer particularly those who had family history of cancer and previous smoking habit. In this study, the clinical term â€Å"prognosis† is all about being able to foretell the possible long-term effects after a person has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Using the same research method, Xu et al. (2013) found out that research participants with Bcl-2 rs1564483 GA+AA genotypes are the ones who can experience longer survival rate and reduced risks of untimely deaths as compared to those Chinese men with rs1564483GG genotype. The primary exposure of interest in this study was genetic factors, in particular, the polymorphism of the Bcl-2 gene in the Chinese men. This was measured by genotyping using the TaqMan method that used a sequence detection system (Xu et al, 2013).

Analysis of an allocated management practitioner article using Essay

Analysis of an allocated management practitioner article using relevant organisational behaviour theory - Essay Example These findings, according to the writer are evidence of how critical it is for management to ensure they improve communication strategy by making it a vital part of their HR practice and strategy. To facilitate this, the writer makes several recommendations towards what they think should be done, this include; having a shared purpose, convincing the leaders, engaging the staff, taking the existing channels of communication to account, maintain a personal touch, working in collaboration with the stakeholders and finally measuring and evaluating the results. In summary, the writer can be seen as trying to assert the importance of communication for its own sake and also the importance of letting the staff and other stakeholders appreciate and understand the benefits of communication. For a long time, managers and researchers have agreed that organizational success is not separable from smoothness in the communication process, in every organization; the most effective employees are those that have open communication with their manager and leaders (Snyder and Morris, 1984). This is because communication helps them build health working relationship which serve, among other things to improve their organizational identification and thus boost their performance making it more effective (Gray & Laidlaw, 2004). In addition, when there are major organizational changes involving mergers or layoffs, in a firm where employees have open communication to management, it will be relatively easy to deal with such (Gopinath & Becker, 2000; Schweiger & DeNisi, 1991). When there is a culture of communication whether vertical or horizontal, managers and employees are better able to deal with job stressors, which would otherwise negatively affect performance. The Organizational suppo rt theory proposes that with time, employees come to form global beliefs, which are founded on the manner in which they

What is IMF Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is IMF - Essay Example Good governance is a set of principles that have been adopted by both the World Bank and the IMF to guide them and help them to achieve their objectives and goals in their member countries. The current scenario is that these organizations now are in the process of applying similar standards as the, good governance techniques to various other aspects of the institution, such as transparency and accountability. Other facets include fairness, impartiality, efficiency and ownership (Woods 2000). Though IMF itself is a vast topic, I would like to target solely the governance aspect of the organization. Only good and sound governance of an organization can result in the complete and adequate implementation of its policies. According to Beke (2002) the underlying rationale for governance in IMF is to eliminate corruption and to encourage transparency as well as accountability in all economic policies and issues of any given country. Since, 1997 the IMF has introduced methods to look after the resources of the organization so as to prevent laundering of monetary funds. In addition, means are also taken to track all sorts of expenditures specifically those on poverty related issues. Therefore, governance is required in all phases. Be it the way the money is lent or discharged to a country, in the implementation of certain economy related policies, or be it in within the IMF itself. Therefore, I would like to research all three of these aspects of governance in my study. There are practical reasons behind the adoption of the good governance criteria by the IMF. One of the foremost according to Woods (2000) is ownership and participation. The reason behind them is that these two means will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of IMF. It has also been stated that in the past any unpopular or unjust act of a country's government was blamed on IMF. Therefore, these policies also enhance the image of the government by stating that there is no imposition by the IMF upon any country to adopt its policy. Any country that does to take the advice of the IMF and follow its policies and guidelines does so of it's own accord. In the past, the IMF consisted of an enclosed group of policy makers, however, in recent years due to its good governance criteria the organization has opened-up. This induces the concept of transparency. The reason behind this is that when an organization in enclosed (in the form of financial institutions and governments only), transparency is difficult; thus, corruption prevails. In such a scenario bribery takes place and the government can easily deceive its citizens by putting the blame for economic upheaval on an institution such as the IMF. In order to prevent such dire situations from arising it is imperative that good governance policies (especially those that include transparency procedures and processes) are included. Research Methodology The research methodology will such that the background and scope of the paper will be given. The basic scope of this paper is that it will help future policy makers as well as researchers to further their studies. In the practical sense this

Effect of Bcl-2 on Lung Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effect of Bcl-2 on Lung Cancer - Essay Example To be able to obtain an accurate and strongly reliable research finding and study conclusion, the research method should always be aligned with the research hypothesis at all times. Back then, it was hypothesized in the study of Xu et al. (2013) that there can be a strong connection between Bcl-2 with a person’s susceptibility to lung cancer and its prognosis among the Chinese men. Specifically, the research hypothesis of Xu et al. (2013) is very much in-line with its chosen research method. It means that the authors’ decision to make use of its research method is good enough to determine whether or not the research hypothesis presented in the said study should be accepted or not. For example, in the process of selecting and genotyping a total of 3 Bcl-2’s tagSNP (i.e. rs1564483, rs 1801018, and rs 2279115) in 1017 couple of Chinese male with lung cancer using the TaqMan assay, the authors were able to find out that the genotypes of rs1564483GA, AA, as well as GA+AA, were strongly related to the decrease in Chinese men’s susceptibility to lung cancer whereas the allele of rs1564483A increases Chinese men’s susceptibility of developing lung cancer particularly those who had family history of cancer and previous smoking habit. In this study, the clinical term â€Å"prognosis† is all about being able to foretell the possible long-term effects after a person has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Using the same research method, Xu et al. (2013) found out that research participants with Bcl-2 rs1564483 GA+AA genotypes are the ones who can experience longer survival rate and reduced risks of untimely deaths as compared to those Chinese men with rs1564483GG genotype. The primary exposure of interest in this study was genetic factors, in particular, the polymorphism of the Bcl-2 gene in the Chinese men. This was measured by genotyping using the TaqMan method that used a sequence detection system (Xu et al, 2013).

What is IMF Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is IMF - Essay Example Good governance is a set of principles that have been adopted by both the World Bank and the IMF to guide them and help them to achieve their objectives and goals in their member countries. The current scenario is that these organizations now are in the process of applying similar standards as the, good governance techniques to various other aspects of the institution, such as transparency and accountability. Other facets include fairness, impartiality, efficiency and ownership (Woods 2000). Though IMF itself is a vast topic, I would like to target solely the governance aspect of the organization. Only good and sound governance of an organization can result in the complete and adequate implementation of its policies. According to Beke (2002) the underlying rationale for governance in IMF is to eliminate corruption and to encourage transparency as well as accountability in all economic policies and issues of any given country. Since, 1997 the IMF has introduced methods to look after the resources of the organization so as to prevent laundering of monetary funds. In addition, means are also taken to track all sorts of expenditures specifically those on poverty related issues. Therefore, governance is required in all phases. Be it the way the money is lent or discharged to a country, in the implementation of certain economy related policies, or be it in within the IMF itself. Therefore, I would like to research all three of these aspects of governance in my study. There are practical reasons behind the adoption of the good governance criteria by the IMF. One of the foremost according to Woods (2000) is ownership and participation. The reason behind them is that these two means will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of IMF. It has also been stated that in the past any unpopular or unjust act of a country's government was blamed on IMF. Therefore, these policies also enhance the image of the government by stating that there is no imposition by the IMF upon any country to adopt its policy. Any country that does to take the advice of the IMF and follow its policies and guidelines does so of it's own accord. In the past, the IMF consisted of an enclosed group of policy makers, however, in recent years due to its good governance criteria the organization has opened-up. This induces the concept of transparency. The reason behind this is that when an organization in enclosed (in the form of financial institutions and governments only), transparency is difficult; thus, corruption prevails. In such a scenario bribery takes place and the government can easily deceive its citizens by putting the blame for economic upheaval on an institution such as the IMF. In order to prevent such dire situations from arising it is imperative that good governance policies (especially those that include transparency procedures and processes) are included. Research Methodology The research methodology will such that the background and scope of the paper will be given. The basic scope of this paper is that it will help future policy makers as well as researchers to further their studies. In the practical sense this

Disney Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Disney Case Analysis Essay It is 1984, and Disney is the target of a potential takeover by notorious greenmailer Sual Steinberg. Disney is faced with the option of fighting the takeover through the courts and media, or to repurchase Steinberg’s shares, in effect, giving in to his greenmail attempt. However, there are many other important issues which are facing Disney. These range from Disney’s abysmal return on investment in recent theme park investments, to the complete failure of Disney’s motion picture division, to Disney’s alarmingly high dividend payout rate. In the following four sections, we will address these four issues Disney faces and recommend solutions to improve the financial health of Disney. Theme Parks Issue Recently, Disney has been following a bad investment policy. Disney invested a total of $1. 9 Billion in Epcot over a 6 year period and has increased its capital expenditures on theme parks by a total of $1. 277 Billion from 1981 to 1983. Despite these massive investments in its theme parks, Disney has only earned a return of 4% on Epcot and an overall return on Theme Park assets of 6% in 1983. Disney needs to find a way to more efficiently invest its capital and produce greater returns on its investments. Analysis In order to understand why Disney’s Theme Park investments have been so unsuccessful, we must analyze a number of different contributing factors. Why Disney is investing in Theme Parks? In order to understand why Disney is investing in Theme Parks, we need to take a look at the financial results of Disney’s different segments. Out of Disney’s 3 segments, Entertainment and Recreation (or theme parks) is Disney’s only segment which is nicely growing its profits in addition to attaining a healthy profit margin. Motion pictures is currently suffering, and actually losing money. Whereas, Consumer Products is producing profits and holding the greatest profit margin, however profits are not growing significantly. After looking at this analysis and nothing else, it appears as though Entertainment and Recreation is Disney’s most profitable segment and the one which they should be investing in. This is exactly what Disney is doing. Why are additional Theme Parks are the Wrong Investment? Before the expansion on new theme parks, Disney’s older theme parks had enjoyed much success. As recently as 1978, Disney’s Entertainment and Recreation segment had experienced a return on assets of 15. 7%. However, as Disney introduced new theme parks, they reached a point where the optimal supply of theme parks had surpassed the demand. This â€Å"oversupply† of theme parks can be seen by taking a look at the United States Demographic data provided in the case. First, it must be understood that Theme Park attendance, and in turn revenues, are driven by the younger demographic. According to the information above, the population group that drives Theme Park revenues (0 to 14 years old) is actually shrinking from 1970 to 1995. This represents a decrease in demand for Disney’s Theme Parks. Yet, at the same time, Disney is investing in and opening new theme parks. Essentially, Disney is increasing the supply despite a decrease in demand. This is counter intuitive by any economic standard. To further back the claims that Disney’s increased investment in theme parks is a bad move; let’s quickly analyze some measures of financial performance for their theme park segment. Clearly, the Entertainment and Recreation segment has experienced an abysmal return on assets recently. These numbers are even more disappointing when considering the Entertainment and Recreation segment produced an ROA 15. 7% as recently as 1978. Disney has made the wrong move in investing heavily in additional theme parks despite the population decrease in its main customer segment. In order to improve Disney’s position, it must make some changes. Suggested Changes Overseas Theme Parks The demand for additional theme parks does not exist in the United States, as can be seen from looking at the demographic data above. Therefore, there is no reason for Disney to continue expanding and investing in additional United States theme parks. Disney needs to immediately stop United States theme park expansion. However, this does not mean that Disney must stop investing in theme parks altogether. Disney should look to other countries where there is a demand for theme parks. By looking for countries where the demographics are in their favor and there is sufficient demand without oversupply, Disney can begin to earn sufficient returns on their theme park investments. Management Change Disney’s management should have foreseen the downside of overexpansion. It’s even possible that management did realize the lack of demand, however they may have wanted to extract us much demand as possible by building more theme parks. Either way, the decision to invest so heavily in theme parks despite their main market segment shrinking for the foreseeable future is incomprehensible. Earning a ROA of 6% in 1983 on theme parks assets when a 1983 T-Bill earns 8. 86% shows an abysmal utilization of assets. Management responsible for the decision to invest so heavily in theme parks needs to be fired from the company. Implementation How to Expand Overseas First, Disney needs to conduct market research in numerous modernized foreign countries. The focus of this research needs to be on the demand levels for a theme park, and whether the demand outweighs the current supply of theme parks in each country. Once Disney chooses the country with the most favorable supply and demand situation, it can begin analysis to determine whether or not they should actually construct a theme park in that country. They will estimate costs and future cash flows in order to conduct a NPV analysis in order to determine whether or not Disney should actually construct a theme park in that country. How to Implement Management Change Ask around management, and conduct interviews with high level managers in order to determine who was responsible for the decision to invest more heavily in theme parks. Once you have identified the main individual or individuals responsible for the decision, you let them know that they are being let go for their ineptitude. Then, search for top management at other similar companies (or any promising prospects within Disney) to fill the open positions. Motion Pictures Issue The motion pictures business has been historically one of Disney’s strongest segments since the company was founded. Over the years, classic films like Snow White and Cinderella have provided valuable revenue streams for the company. Films have accounted for a significant amount of Disney’s earnings and had a large impact on the performance of the company. However, in recent years the motion picture segment’s performance has been lackluster and recording an operating loss of $33. 3M in 1983. The recent failures in the motion picture segment had a profound ripple effect on Disney’s financial performance. Just two years ago the same division boasted a 17. 59% profit margin and operating income of $34. M. Analysis The recent missteps can be attributed to a failed TV channel startup, lack of a blockbuster movie hit, and the cancelation of a new Disney TV show on CBS. Although the film industry in general was suffering in 1983, the performance of Disney’s motion pictures division was abysmal. Suggested Changes New Management Performance in this division has steadily declined over the past three years. New talent needs to be brought in to help revitalize this division. Disney has been a household name since the advent of cinema and should not be lagging behind their rivals. Management needs to be held accountable for these failures. Increased Investment in Film Disney has arguably been one of the most successful film companies in the world since it was started in 1923. Creating, distributing, and selling films have been a core competency of Disney for many years. Disney needs to invest more money into creating innovative films and future blockbusters. For the past several years, there has been a disparate amount of funds invested into their park business compared to the motion picture segment. Disney needs to focus on their core competency of film and invest into motion pictures. Historically, this business has proved to be lucrative and these additional resources will help finance future blockbuster movies. Implementation How to Acquire New Management Currently, many of the Disney executives worked under Walt Disney, himself, and often won’t accept projects due to the reasoning that â€Å"Walt wouldn’t do that†. It is hard for creative talent to come up with great ideas and have them put down without any reasoning, other than a dead man wouldn’t have approved their ideas or projects. The current executive’s ties are too strong to the late Walt Disney and at least some of them need to be replaced with fresh blood. Fire the executives who are the most repeat offenders of the above mentioned offense. In order to replace them, we suggest that Disney looks to other top movie studies for executive talent. How to Increase Investment in Film While Disney is halting its theme park expansion in the United States and conducting market research overseas for new sites, a lot of additional capital will be lying around waiting to be invested. Once the new executives are in place, we suggest that Disney allocates a considerable amount of its free capital to motion pictures and see what kind of results that its newly hired executives can produce. Dividend Policy Issue One of the many vital points of interest that Ron Miller must address as Disney moves into the future is making a decision on its dividend policy. When looking at the dividend policy of the company, it is critical to conduct a financial ratio analysis of the company. Upon doing so, certain trends can be noticed. One of these noticeable trends happens to fall within the dividend payout rate. For over a decade, the dividend payout rate fluctuated only slightly staying in the range of 4% to 8%. Then beginning in 1978, the dividends began to increase exponentially arriving at a rate of 44. 4% only five years later in 1983. This five year spike in the dividend payout rate has come at the same time as the earnings per share continue to fall. This immediately should raise concerns for the financial security of the company. Analysis In deciding on a dividend policy, it is crucial for the company to decide how growth oriented it would like to be. Speaking simply, the mor e dividends Disney decides to pay out, the less retained earnings it has to put into future positively valued projects. This can be seen in the company’s sustainable growth rate. Calculating for 1883, the growth rate is only 3. 70% Given the large dividend payout rate of 44. 44%, Disney cannot grow with retained earnings at anything more than a modest 3. 70%. If Disney wanted to grow more than that, it could consider taking on more debt. The company has historically been averse to taking on too much debt and will most likely want to continue that trend into the future. If Disney wants to continue to grow without taking on debt, the company will need to consider lowering the dividend payout rate. Suggested Change Lower Dividends To align the dividend payout rate more closely with earnings per share along with setting the company up for more future growth projects, it is crucial in Disney’s financial planning that they cut back the dividend rate. It is our suggestion that Disney reduces its dividend so that its dividend payout ratio is in line with its historic payout of about 7. 50%. This will require Disney to cut its dividend down to $. 20 per share (based on 1983 EPS of $2. 70 per share). Decreasing the dividend to $. 20 per share would nearly double Disney’s sustainable growth rate, increasing it to 6. 16%. As a result, Disney would be able to finance more projects through retained earnings and continue to keep its leverage down. Implementation How to Lower Dividends Obviously, shareholders are not going to be happy to hear that you want to cut the dividend by 83%. This is why you have to issue a press release for general shareholders and at least a conference call or meeting with major shareholders to inform them of your intentions. During the conversation with shareholders, you are going to have to explain how it was a mistake in the past to increase dividends as earnings per share continued to slide. Let the shareholders know that you are going to correct this mistake now, rather than letting it continue to slide. Finally, mention that decreasing dividends will also help Disney remain a financially healthy company by keeping its debt low. Corporate Takeover Attempt Issue Possibly the most important issue faced by Ron Miller and the leadership of Walt Disney Productions is the imposing takeover attempt by well-known corporate raider, Saul Steinberg. This attempt has been sparked by Walt Disney’s current financial situation and performance. Currently, Disney seems to be an ideal target for a takeover. Disney has a great amount of cash on hand, totaling about $18 million. This, along with Disney’s underperformance and inefficiencies, are strong motivating factors for Steinberg’s attempt. It is likely that Saul Steinberg believes Walt Disney Productions to be undervalued. This is a conclusion shared by most raiders about the targets in takeover attempts. Disney is currently trading at $50 per share. Steinberg just initiated a tender offer for 49 percent of the company for $67. 50 per share. This is where Ron Miller must face a difficult decision by giving in to the greenmailing attempt by agreeing to purchase back Steinberg’s shares at a premium, or letting Walt Disney Productions fall victim to a takeover. Analysis It is essential for the future of Disney for us to examine the value of the company. From there, Disney must decide at what price, if any, should they buy back Steinberg’s shares. As stated earlier, Disney’s stock has been recently trading at $50 per share. (Graph) For our analysis of valuing the company, we calculated a WACC of 16. 6%, as well as three different possible growth rates of 8%, 11%, and 13%. From these calculations we were able to surmise an estimated company value of $68. 12 per share. This would lead us, as well as Saul Steinberg, to believe Disney to be undervalued. Recommendation Don’t Buy Steinberg’s Shares To successfully ward of Steinberg and his attempted takeover, Disney must offer him a hefty premium for the purchase of his shares. With his ownership of 12% of the company and his recent attempt for 49 percent of it, a pivotal decision must be made. However, after valuing the company and weighing possible options, we have come to a recommendation. For the sake of both the shareholders and stakeholders of the company, it would be not be wise to buy the shares owned by Saul Steinberg. A decision to succumb to Steinberg’s greenmail would greatly cripple the company from a financial standpoint. If Disney were to buy his share of the company, investors would experience a huge decline in their shares. Such a decision would be made solely to preserve the jobs and welfare of top managers of the company. Disney would be failing to maximize shareholder value, thus weakening Disney’s position in the market. We concluded that in order to avoid the takeover attempt, Disney would have to pay Steinberg $69 per share. This is $0. 88 more than our estimated value of the company and a 38% premium with respect to the current share price. This would leave Saul Steinberg with $289. 8 million, or a profit of $24 million at the expense of Disney’s shareholders. Implementation Don’t Buy Shares, Improve Company Instead of buying the shares, Disney should focus on cleaning up its act as a financially sound company, as well as a leader in its respective industries. With the likely replacement of Ron Miller and top executives, Disney would find itself in a position to change its current business policies. Disney is already highly capital intensive, with the recent increased spending on theme parks. The company should not be acquiring more debt by purchasing two new companies with no apparent synergies. Disney should immediately dump these unwisely obtained businesses. The money from these sales would enable Disney to invest in new business ventures, like expanding abroad and tapping into new markets.

Democracy Is The Worst Form Of Government Politics Essay

Democracy Is The Worst Form Of Government Politics Essay Democracy is a strong and emotive concept. It has sparked debate and discussion since its first inception in ancient Greece, right through to its modern conception of western liberal democracy. Today, it has become the predominant form of government around the world, and, indeed, countries go to war to defend the values and principles that it enshrines. Huntington defined democracy as involving two dimensions: contestation and participation, and that it implies the existence of those civil and political freedoms to speak, publish, assemble and organise that are necessary for political debate (1991, p. 7). There are, of course, problems peculiar to democracy; however, do these problems warrant the description of democracy as being the least worst option? Perhaps one of the most prevalent criticisms of democracy is that it can lead to ineffectual government. When Aristotle first established typologies and started to categorise political systems, he considered democracy to be a perverted form of rule by many. This idea of the masses being unfit to govern is still evident in Britain up until 1862, and perhaps even 1928 when universal suffrage was introduced. There are still free market economists up to this day, such as Milton Friedman, who believe that democracy produces inefficient economic systems. They argue that in order to create effective economies, governments need to make what are generally considered to be deeply unpopular decisions such as mass privatization, de-regulation and removing workers rights; particularly relevant at this time of economic austerity. This is an example of the governing paradox (Flinders, 2010, p. 311). In part this is due to what they see as an inherent contradiction between Capitalism and Democracy that as economic agents, people are expected to act in their own self-interest, whereas, when it comes to casting their ballot, they are expected to act in the interest of the society as a whole. However, democratic countries tend to be more prosperous (Dahl, 1998, p. 58). India, for example, the worlds largest democracy, grew by 5.5% in the first quarter of 2012. In more general terms, the West predominantly America and Europe consist of the most developed economies in the world, the overwhelming majority of which are democracies. Increasingly, there have been those who have argued that democratic national governments have become ineffective in the face of globalisation. Democracy has spread around the world, in a development that Fukuyama referred to as the end of history, but now, as Gilbert (2009) argues; this is being undermined by the process of globalisation. Indeed, there is now a structural crisis in Democracy (Ghali, 2009), where the need for governance is stretching beyond states. Indeed, national legislatures are increasingly impotent (Gilbert, 2009). Thus we see ineffective global governance, and there are concerns over how democratic any solution can be. Is it feasible to consider democratically elected global institutions? Or should we consign ourselves to the economic oversight of appointed economists at the World Bank and the IMF? The solution lies not with Gilberts radical devolutionary ideas, but rather with the case put forward by Ghali for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (2009). We cannot answer the problem that globalisation poses by shrinking away from it, we must embrace it and accept that global democratic oversight is becoming increasingly necessary. The globalisation of democracy, on the other hand, has brought benefits. Namely, that it has brought peace (Dahl, 1998). Since the Second World War, there have been few wars between democratic countries. This is because democracies are built on the basis of rational debate and discussion that tends to limit aggression. Although, there is an argument to be made that this era of peace between democracies owes itself more to free trade, and market economies rather than democracy itself. Nevertheless, there is a correlation between democracies and peace. However, we should not defend democracy on the benefits that it happens to bring about. A defence of democracy must come from first principles, that it is intrinsically good. Democracy is fundamentally a pluralist system of power distribution, in that it diffuses power among many different competing groups albeit perhaps not equally. Thus, democracy achieves a greater level of political equality amongst citizens than any alternative (Dahl, 1998) reflecting the fundamental belief that all humans are born equal, and that consent for governance must be derived from the governed. Moreover, this allows individuals to protect their own interests. Human nature dictates that we all desire some control over our needs and wants, and J.S. Mill stated that this, the ability to protect ones own interests, protects us from evil at the hands of others. This competition between different groups within society is what protects democracies from authoritarianism. In short: difference is good (Flinders, 2010). Debate and discussion, the exercise of the right to freedom of speech, are the pillars upon which democracy is built. Furthermore, democracy is inherently a system of rights (Dahl, 1998, p. 48). Democracies, by definition, grant basic political and civil rights to its citizens, so that they may participate fully in the democratic process. In order for citizens to participate, to hear the voice of the people, it must therefore be necessary to grant them the right to freedom of assembly that would not be granted within an authoritarian or totalitarian regime. Enshrined in democracy is the belief in equality, and thus, establishing and enforcing rights gives that greater degree of equality than any non-democratic alternative. Moreover, granting these rights protects minority groups from persecution and allows them to protect their interests, as written previously. The society we live in has evolved so much over the generations. Society is no longer as homogenous it once was, it is increasingly made up of heterogeneous (Flinders, 2010) groups all of which represent different and varied interests, all of which must be to a greater, or lesser extent, r espected. Otherwise, we commit ourselves to rule by an elite, a select few who determine their interests are above those of all others. And therein lies democracys intrinsic goodness. It enshrines several principles: political equality, that all citizens should have an equal say in who governs them; guaranteed and enforced political and civil rights that allow citizens to be a part of the democratic process and to protect the rights of minorities. These rights and freedoms therefore allow citizens to preserve their own interests, and to protect themselves from persecution. Of course, democracy has its problems. There will always be problems, but the idea that power should be spread, albeit unevenly, amongst citizens and not concentrated in an elite is perhaps one of the most noble. Maybe this is why Winston Churchill, an aristocrat, treated democracy with such revulsion.